The Issue of the Cardiovascular Safety of Dihydropyridines

This review describes aspects of the calcium recent analysis of slow-onset, long-acting calcium channel blocker controversy as it relates to channel blockers, which lack large peak-to trough hypertensive and coronary artery disease patients. fluctuations in drug levels, did not show a signal Much of the controversy has occurred because of suggesting an increase in cardiovascular events. off-label use of short-acting calcium channel:K 19’36 A~crwan Jwrnal of Hypertension, Ltd. Am blockers that were never approved or J Hypertens 1996;9:1gZS-186s rcrammewW fnr use in patients with KEY WORDS: Calcium channel blockers, hypertension or acute myocardial infarction. A cardiovawulrr r.iil:s. S ince Mxch of 1995 there has been considerable discussi:m regarding the issue of whether cal- cium channel blockers are safe for use in both hypertension and coronary artery disease. The purpose of this review will be to describe t!w naturr of the recent controversy and then to focus on recent data with some of the newer slow-onset, lonqacting calcicm channel blockers. In March 1995, a retrospectivr case-control analysi