Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Practice Test 2025 - Free CEN Practice Questions and Study Guide

Diuretics are medications specifically designed to reduce preload by promoting the excretion of excess fluid from the body through increased urine production. When fluid volume is reduced, the amount of blood returning to the heart (preload) decreases, which can be beneficial in conditions like heart failure or fluid overload. By lowering preload, diuretics help to decrease the workload on the heart and alleviate symptoms related to congestion such as shortness of breath and edema.

While other medication classes, such as beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and alpha agonists, can affect cardiovascular function, they primarily work through different mechanisms. Beta blockers primarily reduce heart rate and myocardial workload, calcium channel blockers mainly affect myocardial contractility and vascular tone, and alpha agonists can increase blood pressure and peripheral resistance, which do not achieve the same direct effect on reducing preload.