Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 14, 2026

Imaging Ca2+ Signals in Small Pulmonary Veins at Physiological Intraluminal Pressures
Published on: March 21, 2025
High-Dose Calcium Channel Blockade in PH: Old Lessons, New Tools
Gianluca Pagnoni1, Aurora Vicenzi2, Francesca Coppi3
1Cardiology Unit of Emergency Department Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital Piacenza Italy.
Abstract:
This letter to the editor revisits the origins of high-dose calcium channel blocker use in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in light of bedside vasoreactivity testing, reaffirming its present-day relevance for a selected subgroup. Integrating historical insights with modern tools, the authors highlight: the "responder" phenotype as an expression of precision medicine; ion channels as pathobiological targets; the value of real-world registries and benchmarks for high-quality care pathways; attention to special contexts (interstitial lung disease in connective-tissue diseases, and sex differences in diastolic dysfunction/HFpEF). In sum, we propose a personalized approach that pairs careful high-dose titration in appropriate candidates with molecular phenotyping and standardized follow-up.
Related Concept Videos
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
Antihypertensive Drugs: Action of Calcium Channel Blockers
Antianginal Drugs: Calcium Channel Blockers and Ranolazine
CCBs, a diverse class that includes dihydropyridines (nifedipine) and diphenylalkylamines (verapamil and diltiazem), exert their effect by blocking calcium channels in cardiac and smooth muscle cells. This...
Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class IV Agents as Calcium Channel Blockers
Verapamil, a calcium channel blocker, inhibits calcium movement across myocardial cell membranes and vascular smooth muscle. This results in the dilation of coronary and...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
Among the PDE5 inhibitors, sildenafil (Revatio) stands out as a competitive and selective inhibitor. It operates by elevating cellular levels of cGMP and augmenting signaling through the cGMP-PKG pathway, promoting vasodilation. Upon oral...
Pulmonary Hypertension: Classification and Pathogenesis
There are various classifications for PH, each relating to different underlying causes and also...

