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. (Am J Cardiol 1996;78(suppl 9A):13–18)