calcium-channel blocker

Home > ... > Medicine > Drugs > Pharmacology > ...

Essential
reading

Compare
side-by-side

A Dictionary of Nursing

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

calcium-channel blocker

calcium-channel blocker any of a class of drugs used in treating hypertension , angina pectoris , and certain arrhythmias . They prevent the calcium ions needed for muscle contraction from entering the cells of smooth and cardiac muscle. This causes blood vessel walls to relax and blood to flow more freely to the heart, lowering blood pressure and relieving anginal pain. Some calcium-channel blockers, such as Procardia (nifedipine), slow the electrical impulses that run through heart muscle, thus regulating arrhythmias. Cardizem (diltiazem) is a common calcium-channel blocker.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1E1-calcium-cb" title="Facts and informations about calcium-channel blocker">calcium-channel blocker</a>

Give this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"calcium-channel blocker." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Jul. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"calcium-channel blocker." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (July 10, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-calcium-cb.html

"calcium-channel blocker." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-calcium-cb.html

Learn more about citation styles

calcium-channel blocker

A Dictionary of Nursing | 2008 | Â© A Dictionary of Nursing 2008, originally published by Oxford University Press 2008. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

calcium-channel blocker (calcium antagonist) n. a drug that inhibits the influx of calcium ions into cardiac and smooth-muscle cells; it therefore reduces the strength of heart-muscle contraction, reduces conduction of impulses in the heart, and causes vasodilatation. Calcium-channel blockers, which include amlodipine, diltiazem, nicardepine, nifedipine, and verapamil, are used to treat angina and high blood pressure.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O62-calciumchannelblocker" title="Facts and informations about calcium-channel blocker">calcium-channel blocker</a>

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"calcium-channel blocker." A Dictionary of Nursing. Oxford University Press. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Jul. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"calcium-channel blocker." A Dictionary of Nursing. Oxford University Press. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (July 10, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-calciumchannelblocker.html

"calcium-channel blocker." A Dictionary of Nursing. Oxford University Press. 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-calciumchannelblocker.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Calcium channel blockers controversy: a review of the literature. Magazine article from: Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences; 7/1/2004
	Integrating B vitamins with calcium channel blockers.(Ask the PHARMACIST) Magazine article from: Life Extension; 7/1/2007
	Calcium Channel Blockers: Causes Male Infertility. Newspaper article from: HealthFacts; 11/1/1999

Facts and information from other sites

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

	Calcium channel blockers controversy: a review of the literature. Magazine article from: Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences; 7/1/2004; ; 700+ words ; Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are a commonly used cardiovascular...Clinicians have prescribed calcium channel blockers for the treatment of angina...United States was amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker, and several other types of... Read more
	Integrating B vitamins with calcium channel blockers.(Ask the PHARMACIST) Magazine article from: Life Extension; 7/1/2007; ; 700+ words ; ...medication called nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker. I've heard that it can...that all patients who take calcium channel blockers like nifedipine also supplement...vitamins while taking a calcium channel blocker. Let's start with what... Read more
	Calcium Channel Blockers: Causes Male Infertility. Newspaper article from: HealthFacts; 11/1/1999; ; 320 words ; ...infertility. Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker, a drug class that periodically...clinics were often taking a calcium channel blocker. It was described at the...Physicians' Desk Reference. Calcium channel blockers affect all areas of the... Read more
	Calcium channel blockers: three strikes and you're out? Newspaper article from: HealthFacts; 8/1/1996; ; 524 words ; ...antihypertensive drugs known as calcium channel blockers (e.g., Procardia, Cardizem...following antihypertensives: a beta-blocker (e.g., Inderal, Tenormin, Lopressor...1992 and who were taking beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors or CCBs. (Lancet... Read more
	Therapeutic value of antioxidants and calcium channel blockers in patients in the acute phase of closed head injuries.(Abstract) Magazine article from: Alternative Medicine Review; 8/1/2001; 217 words ; Therapeutic value of antioxidants and calcium channel blockers in patients in the acute phase of closed head...combined administration of antioxidants (AO) and calcium channel blockers (CCB) in patients with closed head injury... Read more
	a blood-pressure drug that may cause heart attacks? (calcium channel blockers) Newspaper article from: Medical Update; 7/1/1995; ; 547 words ; ...the relative safety of calcium channel blockers (e.g., diltiazem [Cardizem...persons being treated with calcium channel blockers. Regrettably, such headline...millions of persons taking calcium channel blockers for different conditions... Read more
	Unproven drug widely overused. (calcium channel blockers) Newspaper article from: HealthFacts; 12/1/1992; 700+ words ; ...antihypertensives, known as the calcium channel blocker drugs. They can cost up...long-term benefit of the calcium channel blockers remains unproven. As is...unacceptable or ineffective. Calcium channel blocker drugs are sold under many... Read more
	The revised guidelines for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension caution against the use of calcium channel blockers--used to combat high blood pressure--in unstable patients.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief Article) Magazine article from: USA Today (Magazine); 10/1/2005; 67 words ; The revised guidelines for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension caution against the use of calcium channel blockers--used to combat high blood pressure--in unstable patients. When they are used in patients with PAH whose narrowed... Read more
	NIH halts study after finding use of ACE inhibitor or beta blocker rather than CCB may postpone kidney failure.(National Institutes of Health, angiotensive-converting enzyme, calcium channel blocker)(Brief Article) Newspaper article from: Transplant News; 12/15/2000; 414 words ; ...angiotensive-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or a beta-blocker rather than a calcium channel blocker (CCB) to control their high blood pressure...inhibitor ramipril (Hoechst's Altace) or the beta-blocker metoprolol (Astra's Toprol) significantly... Read more
	Doubts about another heart drug. (calcium channel blockers) Newspaper article from: Medical Update; 12/1/1989; 372 words ; ...diuretics. Now a recent American study raises similar questions about another popular class of heart drugs--calcium channel blockers. The sale of these drugs, also known as calcium antagonists, has been enormous ($1.2 billion in the past year... Read more