title: Selecting optimum antihypertensive therapy: indications for choosing a calcium channel blocker.
abstract: In choosing the optimum antihypertensive agent for an individual patient, various factors should be considered. Demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, race) and the circadian pattern of blood pressure elevation may influence the response to therapy. Concomitant therapy for coexisting medical disorders must be evaluated for possible drug interactions. Calcium channel blockers, which can be used in any age group, may be particularly useful in hypertensive patients with certain concurrent conditions (e.g., coronary artery disease, migraine, or gastrointestinal motility disorders). Life-style, including occupation and leisure-time activities, may contraindicate the use of certain drugs in a particular patient. It also may be necessary to consider the economic status of the patient, particularly in the elderly, who often have limited disposable income. Since to a great extent successful therapeutic management of hypertension depends on patient compliance, reduced frequency of dosing (i.e., once or twice daily) is desirable. The clustering of morbid events in the hours immediately following awakening highlights the need for therapy that provides 24-hour control, thereby ensuring adequate pharmacodynamic effects during that crucial period. The challenge is to select the most appropriate first-line agent (diuretic, beta blocker, calcium channel blocker, or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) for a particular patient.
authors.affiliation: Committee on Clinical Pharmacology, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D015897:Comorbidity; D016527:Drug Costs; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D044469:Racial Groups; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers