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Review
. 2005 Apr;7(4 Suppl 1):5-8.
doi: 10.1111/j.1524-6175.2005.04446.x.

The role of calcium antagonists in stroke prevention

William J Elliott  1 , Armin Bandari
Affiliations
Review

The role of calcium antagonists in stroke prevention

William J Elliott et al. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2005 Apr.

Abstract

Lowering elevated blood pressure significantly reduces the risk of stroke, but whether any specific type of antihypertensive medication is better for this purpose, independent of blood pressure-lowering effects, is controversial. Compared with placebo or no treatment, the point estimate for stroke reduction is the largest with calcium antagonists; all such studies used dihydropyridine compounds. When all clinical trials published through December 2004 are combined in meta-analysis, stroke is not significantly reduced when an initial dihydropyridine or nondihydropyridine calcium antagonist is compared with an initial diuretic or beta blocker, but when the two subclasses are combined, stroke reduction (9%) is significant. The risk of heart failure, however, is significantly increased (by 29%) with the initial calcium antagonist. These estimates may change as newer trials are reported.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
Results of a meta‐analysis of stroke in all clinical trials comparing an initial calcium antagonist (CCB) with an initial diuretic (D) or β blocker (β). OR=odds ratio. Trial acronyms expanded in text.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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