Calcium Channel Blockers

Calcium channel blockers, also called calcium channel antagonist or calcium antagonist, are drugs that prevent calcium from entering muscle cells of the heart and walls of blood vessels. This will result in reduced electrical conduction within the heart, decreased force of contraction of the muscle cells, and to dilate arteries; thus, making blood vessels relaxed and widened, blood and oxygen supply to the heart increased, and heart workload reduced. Examples of calcium channel blockers are Amlodipine (Norvasc), Diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac), Felodipine, Isradipine, Nicardipine, Nifedipine (Adalat CC, Afeditab CR, Procardia), Nisoldipine (Sular), and Verapamil (Calan, Verelan).