Re-examining the clinical safety and roles of calcium antagonists in cardiovascular medicine.
Despite recent analyses questioning the safety of calcium antagonists, evidence and clinical practice strongly support a major role for these drugs in the management of many cardiovascular diseases such as arrhythmia, vascular spasm, hypertension, diastolic dysfunction, stable angina, and myocardial infarction. These agents are a heterogeneous class of drugs with each formulation possessing unique properties and clinical applications. This article presents a review of the available literature and discusses the recommended use of various calcium antagonists in the treatment of diseases of the heart and vascular system.
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Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D018754:Ventricular Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy; D014700:Verapamil / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D014700:Verapamil; D004110:Diltiazem