Reference no: EM133444355

Question

J.R. is a 60-year-old African-American male who has been recently diagnosed with essential hypertension. His blood pressure readings before medication therapy had been between 160/110 mm Hg and 150/104 mm Hg. The nurse is seeing J.R. today for a follow-up blood pressure reading after the patient has been taking hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDIURIL) and diltiazem (Cardizem). His blood pressure is 128/92 mm Hg. The patient asks the nurse about a combination pill that his friend takes called Zestoretic (lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide). He says, "I want my doctor to switch me to that drug so that I will only have to take one pill." Explain one concern that the nurse may have regarding a switch to Zestoretic in this patient and why might ethnicity also have an effect on drug toxicity.