Physicians need to weigh the efficacy, adverse effects and cost of first-line antihypertensive agents. Calcium channel blockers lower blood pressure, improve coronary blood flow and depress cardiac contractility by relaxing smooth muscle and cardiac muscle. They have beneficial or neutral effects in hypertensive patients with angina, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, postural hypot...

Lindberg et al reported the results of two studies, which they interpreted as showing that calcium channel blockers may increase the risk of suicide. They found a significant correlation between rates of suicide and use of calcium channel blockers (r = 0.29, P < 0.001) in a cross sectional ecological study and an increased risk of suicide (relative risk 5.4, 95% confidence interval 1.4 to 20.5)...

Findings from a meta-analysis published in 1995 suggested that in the secondary prevention of myocardial infarction, short-acting nifedipine in moderate to high doses causes an increase in total mortality. Several plausible explanations for this adverse outcome have been suggested, including a proischaemic effect, a negative inotropic effect, marked hypotension, and proarrthythmic effects. A pr...

INTRODUCTION In this study, we investigated the effects of long-term antihypertensive treatment with calcium channel blockers or beta blockers on the bone mineral density of maxilla, as determined by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study was conducted on CBCT images of men older than 55 years who had received different dental indications. Data wer...