CALCIUM-CHANNEL BLOCKERS - RESOLVING THE CONTROVERSY

Ongoing controversies about the use of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) have caused major agitations in patients and physicians' management o f hypertension. The controversy about short-acting nifedipine has high lighted the inapproproate use of this agent for indications that were never approved. However, the other elements of the controversy have no scientific basis and do not in any way incriminate the appropriate us e of long-acting CCBs. Prospective, controlled studies are now availab le documenting the safety of long-acting CCBs and additional large-sca le trials are in progress.