A 60-year-old male presents to his primary care provider reporting chest pain. He is diagnosed with atherosclerosis. This disease results in:

Choice A reason: This is not the preferred agent for the initial treatment of heart failure. Vasodilators are a class of medications that lower the blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels and reducing the resistance to blood flow. They can be used to treat hypertension, angina, and heart failure, but they are usually added to other medications, such as diuretics or beta blockers, to improve the symptoms and outcomes.

Choice B reason: This is the preferred agent for the initial treatment of heart failure. Diuretics are a class of medications that increase the urine output and reduce the fluid retention in the body. They can be used to treat hypertension, edema, and heart failure, as they reduce the preload and afterload on the heart, and decrease the pulmonary congestion and peripheral edema.

Choice C reason: This is not the preferred agent for the initial treatment of heart failure. Calcium channel blockers are a class of medications that lower the blood pressure and heart rate by blocking the calcium channels in the heart and blood vessels, which cause vasodilation and reduced cardiac contractility. They can be used to treat hypertension, angina, and arrhythmias, but they are not recommended for most patients with heart failure, as they may worsen the cardiac function and increase the mortality.

Choice D reason: This is not the preferred agent for the initial treatment of heart failure. Direct renin inhibitors are a class of medications that lower the blood pressure by inhibiting the enzyme renin, which initiates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, a hormonal pathway that regulates the blood pressure and fluid balance. They can be used to treat hypertension, but they have not been proven to be effective or safe for patients with heart failure.

Choice A reason: Hyperplasia and deformation of bronchial cartilage are not the causes of airway obstruction in COPD type B. Bronchial cartilage is the rigid structure that supports the bronchi, the large airways that branch from the trachea. Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells, and deformation is a change in the shape or structure of the cells. These processes can affect the bronchial cartilage, but they do not directly obstruct the airway.

Choice B reason: Loss of alveolar elastin is not the cause of airway obstruction in COPD type B. Alveolar elastin is the elastic fiber that allows the alveoli, the tiny air sacs at the end of the bronchioles, to expand and recoil during breathing. Loss of alveolar elastin is a characteristic of COPD type A (emphysema), which causes the alveoli to lose their shape and collapse. This reduces the surface area for gas exchange, but it does not obstruct the airway.

Choice C reason: Pulmonary edema is not the cause of airway obstruction in COPD type B. Pulmonary edema is the accumulation of fluid in the lungs, usually due to heart failure or lung injury. It causes shortness of breath, coughing, and crackles in the lungs. It can impair gas exchange and oxygenation, but it does not obstruct the airway.

Choice D reason: Thick mucus, fibrosis, and smooth muscle hypertrophy are the causes of airway obstruction in COPD type B. Thick mucus is the result of chronic inflammation and infection of the bronchi, which stimulates the mucus glands to produce more and thicker mucus. Fibrosis is the formation of scar tissue in the bronchial walls, which narrows the airway and reduces its elasticity. Smooth muscle hypertrophy is the enlargement of the smooth muscle cells that surround the bronchi, which increases the airway resistance and causes bronchospasm. These processes combine to obstruct the airway and cause chronic cough, wheezing, and dyspnea.