Calcium Channel Blockers are used in the treatment of angina and are also used in the treatment of hypertension and pulmonary hypertension. Angina is transient in nature as opposed to the acute pain from a myocardial infarction. Other medications such as Nitrates and Beta Blockers are used in the treatment of angina. When the cause of angina is from spasm of the coronary arteries due to atherosclerosis or other factors, the medication is usually a Calcium Channel Blocker.
Calcium is important for many reasons in the body.
It is necessary for clotting, dental development, bone development and also for the transmission of information at neuromuscular junctions. It is this part that calcium plays that is important in the treatment of ischemic heart disease. The Calcium channel involves the transmission of information to involuntary smooth muscles to expand and contract - namely the muscles that expand and contract the coronary arteries. Calcim Channel Blockers keep vessels dilated that have previously been damaged by atherosclerosis. The combination of peripheral vascular resistance, fluid volume and cardiac output influence the level of blood pressure.