Clinical Use of Calcium Channel Antagonist Drugs [antikvár]

AUTHOR'S PREFACE Calcium antagonists are now regarded as the most important advance in cardiac drug therapy since the advent of beta-adrenergic blocking agents. Acting basically as vasodilators—though with many other complex mechanisms especially in the case of the antiarrhythmic calcium antagonists, these agents have grown in importance to become among the therapeutic agents of first choice for angina pectoris and hypertension. The major aim of the present book is to present the clinician with the information needed for the practical use of calcium antagonists. What do all the numerous and often conflicting trials say? Do these agents really work? If so, which agent and in what dose? How do the three front runners, verapamil, nifedipine and diltiazem compare in the efficacy and side-effects with each other? How do the new second generation agents, now entering the North American market, slot in and compare with the three first-liners? When the gloss is taken away from the advertisements, what is really left? The strong clinical bias of the present book should be complimented by further reading of books slanted towards fundamentals. One of the most important and recent of these is that by Dr Winifred Nayler (Calcium Antagonists, Academic Press, 1988). That book should be basic for essential background knowledge in the area of calcium antagonists. The important basic contributions of Fleckenstein deserve emphasis. A particularly important article outlining the basic myocardial properties of the calcium antagonists was that published by Fleckenstein in "Calcium and the Heart" (eds. P Harris, L Opie), Academic Press, London, 1971, pp 135-138. His more recent concepts are fully discussed in "Calcium Antagonism in Heart and Smooth Muscle", Wiley, New York, 1983. Another important recent edition is that edited by Godfraind and others on "Calcium Entry Blockers and Tissue Protection" (Raven Press, New York, 1985) which covers some novel aspects of calcium antagonism including the use in cerebrovascular conditions. These books by masters in the area of basic research will provide the background knowledge required to fully understand the clinical effects of these agents. 't- ' 1 I',,; : ' ¦ ¦ ¦ V^ I ' .r - ' ¦'•^fo' I'i , ¦ /^'-r: a ¦ ;, ;; iijsv'i ¦ ' / ' ''V; ,i'" I A.': «tiV V • ' = ' f /1,' J f