Common High Blood Pressure Drug Amlodipine Is Safe and Effective, Study Finds

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16 (Online): One of the most common drugs for treating high blood pressure (hypertension), amlodipine, is safe and effective, according to new research.
Amlodipine, sold under the brand name Norvasc among others, is a calcium channel blocker used to treat high blood pressure, angina, and coronary artery disease.

In 2020, it was the fifth most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 69 million prescriptions, according to data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The new research follows an earlier studyTrusted Source which raised concerns that taking amlodipine could lead to changes in the blood vessels that increase the risk of heart failure.

Experts interviewed by Healthline say the new research refutes those earlier concerns, and reaffirms that amlodipine is a safe and effective treatment for high blood pressure.

Why earlier study questioned the safety of amlodipine
Approximately 700,000 Americans die each year from high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionTrusted Source.
However, only about one in four Americans with high blood pressure have it under control, reports the agency. Left untreated, high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and eye damage.
Amlodipine has been prescribed to treat high blood pressure for more than 30 yearsTrusted Source. It is also included on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines.

This medication works by blocking a certain type of calcium channelTrusted Source known as a voltage-dependent channel, which prevents the influx of calcium into cells with this type of channel.
Blocking the influx of calcium causes the muscles of the blood vessels to relax, which leads to a widening of the blood vessels and reduced blood pressure.

In an earlier studyTrusted Source, researchers reported that amlodipine and similar calcium channel blockers activated a different type of channel, known as a store-operated calcium channel.
This results in vascular remodeling — changes in the blood vessels — that often occurs in people with high blood pressure, they reported.

That study also included an analysis of patient records, which found that patients treated exclusively with amlodipine or similar calcium-channel blockers had a higher risk of heart failure compared to those who did not receive one of these medications.