Calcium channel blockers and renal protection: insights from the latest clinical trials

Calcium channel blockers have been widely used in clinical practice because of their antihypertensive capacity. Prevention of renal damage is a very important aim of antihypertensive therapy. This is particularly so taking into account the high prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the general population. Recent data have shown that CKD is related to the absence of adequate BP control and also to the clustering of other cardiovascular risk factors seen in the metabolic syndrome. The knowledge of the capacities of the different antihypertensive drugs or their combinations to simultaneously control BP while protecting the kidney and avoiding the facilitation of metabolic alterations is warranted. Recent data from the Intervention as a Goal in Hypertension Treatment trial, Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial, and African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) allow the conclusion that in hypertensive patients with preserved renal function or with CKD, calcium channel blockers are effective antihypertensive drugs to be considered alone or in combination with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker.