Calcium Antagonists: A Critical Review

1 Physiological Significance of Calcium: Calcium Antagonism.- 1.1 Physiological Significance of Calcium.- 1.2 Calcium Antagonism.- References.- 2 Chemical Structure and Pharmacokinetics of Calcium Antagonists.- 2.1 Chemical Structure.- 2.2 Pharmacokinetics.- References.- 3 Pharmacological Effects of Calcium Antagonists.- 3.1 Cardiovascular System.- References.- 3.2 Smooth Muscle.- References.- 3.3 Other Organ Systems.- References.- 3.4 Atherosclerosis — Antiatherogenic Effects.- References.- 4 Indications for Calcium Antagonists.- 4.1 Coronary Heart Disease.- References.- References.- References.- References.- References.- 4.2 Hypertension.- References.- References.- 4.3 Cardiac Arrhythmias.- References.- 4.4 Cardiomyopathies.- References.- 4.5 Other Cardiac Indications.- References.- 4.6 Other Vascular Indications.- References.- 4.7 Calcium Antagonists in Neurological Disease (Claudia Trenkwalder).- References.- References.- References.- References.- References.- References.- 4.8 Gastrointestinal Tract.- References.- 4.9 Respiratory Tract.- References.- 4.10 Urogenital Tract.- References.- 4.11 Further Indications for Calcium Antagonists.- References.- 4.12 Calcium Antagonists in Anaesthesiology.- References.- 5 Side Effects — Overdosage — Contraindications — Drug Interactions.- 5.1 Side Effects Directly due to Blockade of Calcium-Dependent Metabolic Processes.- 5.2 Side Effects Independent of Blockade of Calcium-Dependent Metabolic Processes.- 5.3 Substance-Specific Side Effects.- 5.4 Overdosage of Calcium Antagonists: Intoxication.- 5.5 Incidence of Side Effects.- 5.6 Contraindications.- 5.7 Withdrawal of Calcium Antagonists: A Calcium Antagonists Withdrawal Syndrome?.- 5.8 Drug Interactions in Calcium Antagonist Therapy 232 References.- 6 Perspective: WhatNext?.- References.