Side-effects include constriction of the air passages and small blood vessels, leading to cold hands and feet. Tiredness or fatigue may also be experienced. Calcium antagonists reduce the amount of calcium entering the muscle cells of the arteries, causing them to relax. This leads to the blood flow to the heart increasing and reducing the work the heart has to do to pump blood around the body. Types of the drug include nifedipine, diltiazem and verapamil.
Statins are the main type of drug used to reduce cholesterol levels.
Simvastatin and pravastatin are the only two statins available in the UK to have been tested in long-term trials. Statins are not suitable for people who have liver disease or who are pregnant or breastfeeding. They are effective in treating heart failure, where there is an excess of water and salt in the body, and in lowering high blood pressure. To treat high blood pressure they are used alone or in combination with beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors or other drugs. Diuretics can cause low potassium levels, and in diabetics, high blood sugar levels.