title: Calcium antagonists--clinical considerations.
abstract: Calcium antagonists are useful for treating hypertension, stable exertional and vasospastic angina, and supraventricular arrhythmias. Recent studies have proven their ability to decrease the rate of nonfatal strokes. Short-acting calcium antagonists should be avoided with hypertensive emergencies and urgencies, unstable angina, and acute myocardial infarction. The use of calcium antagonists in systolic heart failure should not be as the primary therapy. Care must be taken in using non-dihydropyridines because of multiple drug-drug interactions. Prospective trials are in progress through the next decade that will compare traditional drugs such as diuretics and beta-blockers to calcium antagonists, converting enzyme inhibitors, and angiotensin II receptor blockers.
authors.affiliation: Hypertension Unit, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Prisant
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D001741:Black or African American; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000150:complications; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016527:Drug Costs; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers