As a PA, you have a patient on HCTZ, lisinopril and olmesartan for their hypertension and these medications work well for them. The patient is going to have serum labs drawn to assess kidney function and has this done every six months, they ask you why they need these lab tests so often and you should reply...?

Question

Group of answer choices

“The ability of the kidneys to make urine is important.”

“The kidneys secrete hormones that cause vasoconstriction.”

“Stress triggers the kidneys to lower your blood pressure.”

“These medications you are on can affect kidney function, sodium levels and potassium levels, so we need to monitor them closely.”

Answer 1

The best response to the patient would be:

“These medications you are on can affect kidney function, sodium levels and potassium levels, so we need to monitor them closely.”

This answer accurately addresses the reason for routine lab tests in patients on these medications, emphasizing the importance of monitoring kidney function and electrolyte levels, which can be impacted by diuretics and other antihypertensive agents.