title: [Calcium inhibitors and cardioprotection].
abstract: The main goal in treating hypertensive patients is to reduce the incidence of complications, especially on the heart. The lowering of blood pressure do not seem enough. Some properties, not shared by all antihypertensive drugs, are likely to allow some protection against heart and coronary diseases. These properties are: the absence of deleterious effects on glucids, lipids and kaliemia; the ability to induce left ventricular hypertrophy regression, antiarrhythmics effects, anti-ischemic effects and the ability to improve arterial compliance. Calcium inhibitors share all these properties and also have some more original and beneficial effects on arterial spasm and may be on progression of atherosclerosis. For all these reasons, a great interest arise for this new therapeutic class in hypertension. However we are still waiting for the demonstration of a true cardiac protection in hypertension with controlled long term trials.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gosse
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dallocchio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers
vernacular_title: Inhibiteurs calciques et cardio-protection.