Calcium channel blockers inferior to cheaper drugs

Calcium channel blockers are inferior to less expensive antihypertensive drugs in preventing cardiovascular complications of high blood pressure, according to a new meta-analysis presented at the European Society of Cardiology's meeting in Amsterdam.

The research was a joint effort of investigators at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, the University of Washington in Seattle, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

The study analysed the results of nine randomised clinical trials that compared long acting calcium channel blockers with others classes of antihypertensives, such as diuretics, b blockers, and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.

Data from 27743 patients were collected, amounting …