An official website of the United States government
The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site. Creatine Monohydrate
The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
Hypertension drug, amlodipine, is not associated with increased heart failure or other cardiovascular disorders, according to researchers.
Research teams from NIEHS and Glasgow University found that a widely prescribed drug for treating high blood pressure called amlodipine is not dangerous for patients, despite recent concerns from researchers that taking amlodipine may have risks. The study, which found that taking amlodipine is unlikely to result in an increase in heart failure in patients, was published Oct. 12 in Function, an Oxford University Press journal.
“The clinical impact of the study and the benefit to patients arises from our approach of combining basic science to understand what’s happening at the cellular level with analysis of data from a large number of patients with high blood pressure,” said Anant Parekh, D.Phil., NIEHS Signal Transduction Laboratory chief and one of the study’s authors. “Both aspects of the study took a significant amount of time, but were important to persevere, given the overall impact this research can have on patients.”
One widely prescribed drug for treating hypertension, which is high blood pressure, is amlodipine, now taken regularly in pill form by more than 70 million Americans. Amlodipine inhibits a type of calcium channel that is found on blood vessels. When the calcium channel opens, calcium enters the muscle and causes it to constrict, increasing blood pressure. Amlodipine prevents calcium from coming in, leading to vessel relaxation and a decrease in blood pressure.
Recently, some researchers have questioned the benefit of amlodipine for treating hypertension. Studies suggested that amlodipine may activate a different type of calcium channel, resulting in changes to blood vessels and an increase in heart failure in patients. Removing amlodipine as a prescribed antihypertensive medication carries significant health implications, because hypertension is such a common health condition.
The researchers found that amlodipine has unique chemical properties that give the erroneous impression of activation of calcium influx. When the study’s authors controlled for these chemical properties, they found that amlodipine did not activate calcium channels. A meta-analysis combining clinical trials and a prospective real-world analysis both showed that amlodipine was not associated with increased heart failure or other cardiovascular problems.
“Removal of amlodipine as a front-line therapy would most likely increase deaths from hypertension dramatically,” Parekh said. “The study recommends that amlodipine remain a first-line treatment for high blood pressure.”
Approximately 700,000 Americans die from high blood pressure each year and researchers believe some 116 million Americans (and one in five adults worldwide) have the disease, which is responsible for 7.6 million deaths per year. If untreated, high blood pressure significantly increases the risk of premature death through heart attack, stroke, or kidney disease.
Citation: Bird GS, D'Agostin D, Alsanosi S, Lip S, Padmanabhan S, Parekh AB. 2023. A reappraisal of the effects of L-type Ca2+ channel blockers on store-operated Ca2+ entry and heart failure. Function 4(6):zqad047.
This article originated from an Oct. 12 press release by Oxford University Press titled “Commonly prescribed hypertension drug, amlodipine, not actually dangerous.”
Earlier this year, Parekh delivered the Annual Review Prize Lecture at the Physiological Society’s Annual Conference in northern England. The lecture, which is the society’s most prestigious lecture, recognizes research of wide interest and impact.
“A major mission of the National Institutes of Health is to promote equity, diversity, and inclusivity in science, and it is therefore a particular privilege for me to be the first Black and Asian Minority Ethnic person to receive the Society’s premier award,” Parekh said in this article.
Sign up for monthly newsletter updates
We will let you know when our newest issue is ready. Right in your email box!
The Environmental Factor is produced monthly by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Office of Communications and Public Liaison. The text is not copyrighted, and it can be reprinted without permission. If you use parts of Environmental Factor in your publication, we ask that you provide us with a copy for our records. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Director of Communications: Christine Bruske Flowers | Editor-in-Chief: Caroline Stetler | Photo Editor: Joe Poccia
Contact Us | Freedom of Information Act | HHS Vulnerability Disclosure Policy | Staff Directory | Web Policies | Website Archive 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Durham, NC USA 27709.
NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health
Avanafil NIEHS website: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/ Email the Web Manager at webmanager@niehs.nih.gov