Tag: Non dihydropyridines

Globally, millions of people use calcium channel blockers (CCBs) to manage heart conditions like hypertension and angina. These medications work by inhibiting the influx of calcium ions into cells, but to answer the question, **do calcium channel blockers decrease contractility?**, it's essential to understand their nuanced effects, which vary significantly by drug class.

Multiple classes of medications, including calcium channel blockers, have been identified as potential causes of orthostatic hypotension. The risk depends on the specific drug, dosage, and patient characteristics, requiring a nuanced understanding of their effects on blood pressure.

Despite sharing a common name and core mechanism, the answer to "Are all calcium channel blockers the same?" is a definitive no. A fundamental difference exists in their selectivity for vascular smooth muscle versus cardiac muscle, leading to two distinct classes with different uses, side effect profiles, and safety considerations.