Calcium channel blockers (
CCB),
calcium channel antagonists or
calcium antagonists are several medications that disrupt the movement of
calcium through
calcium channels. Calcium channel blockers are used as
antihypertensive drugs, i.e., as medications to decrease
blood pressure in patients with
hypertension. CCBs are particularly effective against large vessel stiffness, one of the common causes of elevated systolic blood pressure in elderly patients. Calcium channel blockers are also frequently used to alter
heart rate, to prevent
cerebral vasospasm, and to reduce
chest pain caused by
angina pectoris.
N-type,
L-type, and
T-type voltage-dependent calcium channels are present in the
zona glomerulosa of the
human adrenal, and CCBs can directly influence the biosynthesis of
aldosterone in
adrenocortical cells, with consequent impact on the clinical treatment of
hypertension with these agents.