Calcium and heart beat:
Calcium is an essential element for the heart muscle to beat, with the entry of calcium into the muscle, the heart muscle starts to contract and when the calcium is out it starts to relax.
In hypertensive patients, there is a necessity to lower the amount of blood in vessels or to dilate the vessel.
So, if the amount of blood pumped by the heart reduced, a drop in blood pressure can be achieved and this is the aim of Calcium Channel Blockers.
Calcium Channel Blockers act by blocking receptors of calcium on the cardiac muscle, so there would be less stroke volume which can reduce blood pressure.
**Blood Pressure = stroke volume*heart rate(no. of beats per minute).
There are different types available of CCBs:
Ex. amlodipine, felodipine, diltiazim, verapamil.
These types differ in duration of action.
Side effects:
Most commonly, headache, nausea and arrythmia.
Interactions:
Mainly increases serum levels of carbamazepine, atorvastatin and simvastatin.
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