Calcium channel antagonists: Morbidity and mortality - What's the evidence?

Recent studies have shown an association between the use of calcium channel antagonists for the treatment of hypertension and an increased risk of myocardial infarction, gastrointestinal hemorrhage and cancer. The interpretation of the results of these studies and their application to clinical practice requires an understanding of study design constraints, conflicting results and limitations in extrapolating study findings to other dosage strengths, formulations or agents within the calcium channel antagonist dass. A review and critique of these studies provides background information on the controversial subject of using calcium channel antagonists for the treatment of hypertension. Despite the limitations of these studies, clinicians may want to select other classes of agents, including diuretics and beta blockers, as first-line therapy until the morbidity and mortality effects related to the use of calcium channel-antagonists are clearly known.