Which of the following can decrease afterload?

The option that can effectively decrease afterload is antihypertensives. Afterload refers to the pressure that the heart must work against to eject blood during systole. Antihypertensive medications are specifically designed to lower blood pressure and reduce vascular resistance, making it easier for the heart to pump blood. By dilating blood vessels, these medications decrease the resistance against which the heart must contract, thus lowering afterload.

Diuretics, while helpful in managing fluid overload in heart failure patients, do not directly affect afterload. They primarily work by promoting the excretion of sodium and water, which alleviates congestion but does not change the systemic vascular resistance.

Positive inotropes improve the contractility of the heart muscle, making it pump more vigorously, but they do not directly modify afterload. Rather, they are primarily used to enhance cardiac output.

Vasopressors, on the other hand, are agents used to raise blood pressure, which would actually serve to increase afterload rather than decrease it. Their primary action involves constricting blood vessels and increasing systemic vascular resistance.

In summary, antihypertensives are integral in reducing afterload by lowering blood pressure and vascular resistance, enabling the heart to pump more effectively against