sympatholytic
- adjective
- /ˌsɪmpəθəˈlɪtɪk/
- Specialized
:
simpaticolítico
- The physiological background for perioperative use of 2 agonists is based on their sympatholytic effect.
Examples
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The doctor prescribed a sympatholytic medication to help lower her blood pressure.
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Patients with cardiovascular issues may benefit from sympatholytic agents to reduce stress on the heart.
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After taking the sympatholytic drug, his anxiety levels significantly decreased.
Surface Forms
Morphology
sympatholytic = sympathetic (opaque) = sympath + lytic
The term is a technical biomedical formation ('sympatho-' + '-lytic') and general learners know 'sympathetic' mainly as 'kind', so the meaning 'inhibiting the sympathetic nervous system' is not derivable from the parts for an average learner.
Etymology
Sympatholytic comes from the parts sympatho- (the same root as sympathy, meaning 'feeling') and -lytic meaning 'to break down' or 'reduce'. So sympatholytic describes medicines that 'reduce' the body's sympathetic stress response, for example lowering a fast heart rate.
