[Calcium channel blocker for therapy of patients with hypertension]

Calcium channel blocker (CCB) is one of the most frequently prescribed cardiovascular drugs. Two main classes of CCBs, dihydropyridines and benzothiazepines, are now clinically available for the treatment of hypertension in Japan. Both drugs inhibit the inward current of calcium ions through the L-type calcium channels. However CCBs have markedly different chemical structures and different effects on cardiovascular system. Therefore, in the present paper, their pharmacokinetic properties and interactions with other drugs are reviewed, and newly developed CCB are also described.