Calcium Channel Blockers
💊 Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are used in the treatment of many cardiovascular conditions including hypertension and angina so needless to say they easily make the top 200 drugs prescribed.⠀
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👉🏻 They are divided into subclasses, non-dihydropyridines, and dihydropyridines and differ by their pharmacokinetic properties, clinical uses, response, and selectivity. ⠀
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👉🏻 Dihydropyridine CCBs end in the suffix ‘-ine’: ⠀
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-AmlodipINE⠀
-NicardipINE⠀
-NifedipINE⠀
-NimodipINE⠀
-FelodipINE⠀
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👉🏻 Non-dihydropyridine CCBs don’t end in the suffix ‘-ine’ hinted by the name of the subclass, NOn-dihydropyridINE:⠀
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-Verapamil⠀
-Diltiazem⠀
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Calcium Channel Blockers Read More »
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The exact chemical basis for depression is poorly understood but is thought to be linked to decreased levels of the neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. This cause is also known as the monoamine hypothesis.
Because of this, the drugs developed to treat MDD selectively target the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine, increasing levels of these neurotransmitters in the synapse and enhancing NT signaling.
💊 Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are used in the treatment of many cardiovascular conditions including hypertension and angina. They are divided into subclasses, non-dihydropyridines, and dihydropyridines and differ by their pharmacokinetic properties, clinical uses, response, and selectivity.
💊 The name of this class, calcium channel blockers, hints at its mechanism of action – inhibits the entry of calcium into cells of the cardiac and peripheral vascular smooth muscles.
🗒️ Calcium entry into L-type channels of cardiac and peripheral vascular cells is needed for them to contract or constrict more strongly.
🗒️ By blocking calcium entry, calcium channel blockers cause:
👉🏻 peripheral vascular smooth muscle relaxation (decreases blood pressure)
👉🏻 decreased myocardial contractility (decrease myocardial demand making them effective in angina)
👉🏻 decrease heart rate and conduction velocity (useful in arrhythmias). 
