Match the Choice of Calcium Channel Blocker to Your Patient
November 2022
Your expertise will be needed to sort through calcium channel blockers (CCBs)...due to a laundry list of products and uses.
Think of dihydropyridine CCBs (amlodipine, nifedipine, etc) as more potent vasodilators...but they can bump up heart rate. NONdihydropyridines (diltiazem, verapamil) slow heart rate.
Preferred choices. Rely on amlodipine as your workhorse CCB for hypertension. It’s the longest-acting dihydropyridine...causes less tachycardia...and has more data for improving CV outcomes in hypertension.
Get concise advice on drug therapy, plus unlimited access to CE
Pharmacist's Letter Canada includes:
- 12 issues every year, with brief articles about new meds and hot topics
- 200+ CE courses, including the popular CE-in-the-Letter
- Quick reference drug comparison charts
- Access to the entire archive