[New calcium channel blockers for the treatment of hypertension]

Abstract

L-type voltage-gated calcium channels play a key role in the regulation of arterial vascular smooth muscle tone and blood pressure levels and L-type calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are widely used antihypertensive drugs. Additionally, T-type channels regulate vascular tone in small-resistance vessels and renin and aldosterone secretion, and N-type channels, expressed in sympathetic nerve terminals, regulate the release of neurotransmitters. As compared with L-type CCBs, L/N-and L/T-type CCBs decreased intraglomerular pressure, improved renal hemodynamics and provided a greater decrease in proteinuria even in patients already treated with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone inhibitors. Thus, dual L/N-and L/T-type CCBs may exhibit therapeutic advantages over L-type blockers in hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease. However, further large-scale, long-term comparative trials are needed to confirm that these differences translate into an improvement in clinical outcomes. © 2017 SEHLELHA. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Blood pressure; Bloqueadores de los canales de calcio; Calcium channel blockers; Células musculares lisas vasculares; Presión arterial; Vascular smooth muscle cells.