Calcium, calcium antagonism, atherosclerosis, and ischemia

Calcium is a ubiquitous cation involved in a wide variety of physiological processes. Normally, cytosolic calcium is maintained within narrow limits but under certain conditions the levels rise--either because of excess calcium entry, internal release, or failure of the extrusion mechanisms. Such conditions include hypertension and myocardial ischemia. Calcium ions are also involved in the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and atherosclerosis are all amenable to calcium antagonist therapy. The efficacy of this class of drugs in the management of such a wide spectrum of disorders is in accord with the central role played by calcium in the etiology of these disorders. To some extent, however, the disorders are interrelated, with hypertension being a major risk factors for ischemic heart disease and atherosclerosis.