Perspectives in Pharmacology | Doi : 10.37446/edibook042024/30-41

PAID ACCESS | Published on : 29-Nov-2025

Recent Advances in Autonomic Nervous System Pharmacotherapeutics

  • Pallavi Palve
  • Department of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, Ashokrao Mane College of Pharmacy, Peth-Vadgaon, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.
  • Shubhangi Sutar
  • Department of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, Ashokrao Mane College of Pharmacy, Peth-Vadgaon, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.
  • Akshata Patil
  • Department of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, Ashokrao Mane College of Pharmacy, Peth-Vadgaon, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.

Abstract

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is essential for regulating involuntary physiological functions like heart rate, respiration rate, digestion rate, and blood pressure. Disturbances in ANS function can lead to a variety of clinical disorders, including autonomic neuropathy, arrhythmias, and excessive blood pressure. Recent breakthroughs in pharmacotherapy have made it possible to control these disorders more effectively. Drugs that alter the autonomic balance, particularly those that target receptors involved in sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways of signalling, have been the focus of recent developments. Alpha-agonists, muscarinic antagonists, and beta-blockers have all been used extensively to treat conditions related to the heart and breathing. To restore autonomic balance, new techniques include gene treatments and the use of selective receptor modulators. Certain beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists and new calcium channel blockers have demonstrated encouraging impacts in cardiovascular pharmacology especially when it comes to reducing heart rate variability while improving outcomes for individuals with autonomic dysfunction. Furthermore, novel medications that target the neurohormonal systems such as aldosterone antagonists and angiotensin receptor blockers are being investigated for their capability to lessen autonomic neuropathy symptoms. More focused treatments that reduce side effects and improve patient compliance are also being researched as a result of advances in our understanding of autonomic function at the molecular and cellular levels. Additionally, the precision of ANS pharmacotherapeutics is being improved through incorporating the use of personalized medicine through pharmacogenomics. To sum up, the continuous advancements in autonomic pharmacotherapy may lead to better clinical results and patient quality of life for patients with autonomic-related illnesses. The establishment of next-generation treatments will require more investigation into the molecular mechanisms behind autonomic control.

Keywords

Clinical disorder, Cardiovascular pharmacology, Neurohormonal systems, Cerebral cortex

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