[Calcium antagonists: current and future applications based on new evidence. Combination antihypertensive therapy with calcium channel blockers]

Abstract

Because epidemiological studies have indicated that the relation of blood pressure to cardiovascular risk is lineally extended to the normal blood pressure range, strict blood pressure control is desired in the antihypertensive therapy. For this purpose, combination of multiple antihypertensive drug is required in a large part of hypertensive patients. In combining antihypertensive drugs, it is preferable that the antihypertensive effects are augmented and the adverse effects are cancelled each other. Calcium channel blockers exert consistent hypotensive effects dose-dependently and scarcely cause hazardous side effects. Calcium channel blockers are preferentially used when angina pectoris and cerebrovascular disease exist, moreover, the prominent antihypertensive effects are useful as combination drugs for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and chronic renal diseases where the strict blood pressure control is strongly needed.