BMJ 1998;316:1471-1473 ( 16 May )

Editorials

Calcium channel blockers

The jury is still out on whether they cause heart attacks and suicide 

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Calcium antagonists are used extensively for treating high blood pressure and angina. Since 1995 they have been accused of causing myocardial infarcts, cerebrovascular events, cancer, bleeding, depression, and suicide by mechanisms that include pro-ischaemic, pro-arrhythmic, negative inotropic, hypotensive, and reflex sympathetic effects (cardiovascular events); inhibition of apoptosis (cancer); inhibition of platelet aggregation and the normal vasocontrictive response to bleeding (bleeding); excess hypotension or interference with neurones and receptors involved in mood regulation (depression). A recent review of the evidence recommended no change to current guidelines and clinical practice,1 but since then a report of raised suicide rates among patients taking calcium antagonists has been published,2 together with three randomised controlled trials suggesting that myocardial infarcts might be increased in diabetics on calcium antagonists.3-5

Much of the evidence concerning risk of cardiovascular events, cancer, and bleeding, both published and unpublished, was reviewed in 1996-7 by an ad hoc subcommittee of the Liaison Committee . . . [Full text of this article]
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to StumbleUpon StumbleUpon   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Calcium channel blockers: Is the jury still out?
James M Wright
BMJ 1998 317: 1591. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Bloomgarden, Z. T. (2001). The American Diabetes Association's 48th Annual Advanced Postgraduate Course. Diabetes Care 24: 1489-1495 [Full text]  
  • Kizer, J. R., Kimmel, S. E. (2001). Epidemiologic Review of the Calcium Channel Blocker Drugs: An Up-to-date Perspective on the Proposed Hazards. Arch Intern Med 161: 1145-1158 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Grace, A. A., Camm, A.J. (2000). Voltage-gated calcium-channels and antiarrhythmic drug action. Cardiovasc Res 45: 43-51 [Full text]  
  • Wright, J. M (1998). Calcium channel blockers: Is the jury still out?. BMJ 317: 1591-1591 [Full text]  
  • Mogensen, C. E. (1998). Combined high blood pressure and glucose in type 2 diabetes: double jeopardy. BMJ 317: 693-694 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Calcium channel blockers: Is the jury still out?
James M Wright
bmj.com, 20 May 1998 [Full text]
Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ