What are the different classes of calcium channel blockers?

There are two distinct chemical classes of CCBs: the dihydropyridines (such as nifedipine and amlodipine) and the nondihydropyridines (diltiazem and verapamil).

What is a Class 4 calcium channel blockers?

If necessary, direct antiarrhythmic therapy, including antiarrhythmic… read more : Class IV drugs are the nondihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, which depress calcium-dependent action potentials in slow-channel tissues and thus decrease the rate of automaticity, slow conduction velocity, and prolong …

What is the classification of amlodipine?

Amlodipine is in a class of medications called calcium channel blockers. It lowers blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels so the heart does not have to pump as hard.

What is the most popular calcium channel blocker?

Calcium channel blockers (also known as CCBs for short) are a class of antihypertensive medications used to treat various conditions, such as high blood pressure. In fact, a CCB called amlodipine is among the most popular drugs prescribed by city and state.

What is a Class 5 antiarrhythmic?

Class 5 antiarrhythmic drugs are a miscellaneous group of medications that do not belong to a traditional class of antiarrhythmics. These drugs have varied mechanisms of action and uses. The medications in this class are digoxin. Digoxin has positive inotropic and negative chronotropic activity.

What is a Class 1 antiarrhythmics?

Quinidine, disopyramide, procainamide, lidocaine, mexiletine, flecainide, and propafenone are all class I antiarrhythmic drugs (table 1) used for the treatment of various atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. This topic will review the major side effects of the various drugs.

Which calcium channel blockers has maximum effect on heart?

Diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac, others) Felodipine.

What calcium channel blocker has the least side effects?

Calcium channel blockers are common medications that have a low risk of complications.
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Examples of dihydropyridines include:
  • amlodipine (Norvasc)
  • felodipine (Plendil)
  • isradipine (DynaCirc)
  • nicardipine (Cardene)
  • nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia)
  • nimodipine (Nimotop, Nymalize)
  • nisoldipine (Sular)

Why calcium channel blockers should be avoided in heart failure?

Calcium channel blockers should generally be avoided in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) since they provide no functional or mortality benefit and some first generation agents may worsen outcomes [1].

Which calcium channel blocker causes the least edema?

Edema will diminish upon conversion from a dihydropyridine CCB to a nondihydropyridine CCB such as verapamil or diltiazem. In addition, the newer, third-generation dihydropyridine CCBs such as lacidipine,[32,33] manidipine, and lercanidipine[32,33,34,35] are regularly reported to cause less peripheral edema.

Which calcium channel blockers cause the least constipation?

As a unique property, mibefradil blocks T-type calcium channels and hence represents a new class of calcium channel blockers. In patients with hypertension, mibefradil has a high efficacy in controlling blood pressure. The drug does not cause constipation and has a low incidence of ankle edema.

Why is nifedipine no longer used?

Nifedipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, was once one of the most widely used medications for hypertension, but safety and tolerability concerns along with the introduction of new classes of antihypertensive medications and an increasing pool of data showing mortality benefit of other classes caused …

Why do calcium channel blockers cause leg swelling?

Edema commonly occurs with calcium channel blockers because the drugs trigger the dilation of blood vessels. The dilation, in turn, lowers the blood pressure and improves the flow of blood throughout the body.

Which is better verapamil or amlodipine?

Conclusions. Verapamil is more effective in reducing blood pressure and rate-pressure product responses to stress compared with amlodipine. Although plasma noradrenaline is lower with verapamil at rest and after stress, the increase during stress is not different.

What is a good replacement for nifedipine?

Nisoldipine: a replacement therapy for nifedipine in the treatment of severe hypertension.

Which is better nifedipine or amlodipine?

In conclusion, amlodipine given once daily is at least as effective as nifedipine tablets given twice daily in patients with essential hypertension.

Who should not take nifedipine?

You should not use this medicine if you are also taking certain other medications such as carbamazepine (Tegretol®), phenobarbital (Luminal®), phenytoin (Dilantin®), rifabutin (Mycobutin®), rifampin (Rifadin®, Rimactane®), or St. John’s Wort. Using these medicines together can cause serious problems.

Why is amlodipine preferred over nifedipine?

Amlodipine was better tolerated than nifedipine, as shown by the lower incidence of side effects. Therefore amlodipine proved to be an effective and well tolerated drug in the therapy of mild to moderate hypertension.