AUTONOMIC NERVOUS-SYSTEM AS A TARGET FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DRUGS

1. Drugs acting within the autonomic nervous system (ANS) are of parti cular interest when autonomic abnormalities are implicated in the deve lopment and maintenance of various cardiovascular pathologies. For exa mple, it has been documented that in the early stages of hypertensive disease (i.e. hyperkinetic borderline hypertension) a sympathetic hype ractivity associated with a decreased parasympathetic activity results in increased cardiac output and heart rate. 2. Several classes of dru gs acting within the central, as well as the peripheral ANS, are very efficient in treating hypertensive disease, One of these classes of dr ugs, the second generation of centrally acting drugs, has proved benef icial in this respect because, in addition to their therapeutic effica cy, these drugs are well tolerated. 3. The central nervous system may also be the target for drugs with the potential to treat other cardiov ascular diseases. Some recent experimental and clinical data supportin g such new perspectives concerning idiopathic dysrhythmias, angina pec toris and congestive heart failure will be summarized.