Diltiazem in the treatment of hypertension and ischemic heart disease

Abstract

Treatment of patients with hypertension and ischemic heart disease should be focused not only on the control of overall cardiovascular risk factors, particularly blood pressure, but also on eliminating anginal symptoms, or at least reducing them, as angina symptoms have a crucial prognostic value. Although the amount of blood pressure reduction, rather than the choice of antihypertensive drug, is the major determinant of reduction of cardiovascular risk, some drugs such as β-blockers should be preferably used in patients with angina. However, β-blockers are contraindicated or produce intolerable side effects in many patients. Although, in the last years, new drugs for the treatment of stable angina have emerged, diltiazem should remain as a good alternative in the treatment of these patients. In this article, available evidence regarding diltiazem in the treatment of hypertension and ischemic heart disease is updated.

Keywords::

• calcium-channel blockers
• diltiazem
• hypertension
• ischemic heart disease
• nondihydropyridine
• NORDIL study

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Writing assistance was provided by Carlos Escobar Cervantes and Content Ed Net Madrid, Spain. It was founded by Lacer Spain.