PHARMACOVIGILANCE ASSESSMENT OF DRUG-INDUCED BARORECEPTOR DYSFUNCTION AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO CARDIOVASCULAR ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS

Said Salim Said; Burhani Simai; Ahmad Makame Mwadini; Sabra Salim Rashid

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v10i6.1467

Said Salim Said Zanzibar Food and Drug Agency (ZFDA), Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Burhani Simai Zanzibar Food and Drug Agency (ZFDA), Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Ahmad Makame Mwadini Zanzibar Food and Drug Agency (ZFDA), Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Sabra Salim Rashid Medicine Policy Unit, Ministry of Health, Zanzibar, Tanzania.

10.22270/ujpr.v10i6.1467

Keywords:

Blood pressure, baroreceptor dysfunction, cardiovascular adverse drug reactions, pharmacovigilance

Abstract

Drug-induced baroreceptor dysfunction represents an underrecognized mechanism contributing to cardiovascular adverse drug reactions, including reflex tachycardia, bradycardia, syncope, orthostatic hypotension, and arrhythmias. However, despite the critical role played by the baroreflex arc in short-term blood pressure regulation through rapid autonomic adjustments, pharmacological impairment of this reflex has not been systematically evaluated in pharmacovigilance systems. This review synthesizes the current evidence on drug-induced baroreceptor dysfunction, discusses the limitations of spontaneous reporting databases, identifies potential pharmacovigilance signal detection methods, and points out major gaps in current knowledge. It also discusses opportunities opened by emerging tools, such as digital health technologies, computational modelling, and real-world evidence to strengthen the early detection of baroreflex related cardiovascular ADRs. We conclude that integrating baroreceptor-specific endpoints into pharmacovigilance frameworks might improve the prediction, detection, and prevention of serious cardiovascular drug reactions.