The potential for added benefits with beta-blockers and calcium antagonists in treating cardiovascular disorders.

Whereas the beta-blockers were heralded as the drugs of the sixties and early seventies, the calcium antagonists have established themselves as the drugs of the eighties. However, despite the widely differing pharmacology of these 2 classes of drugs, they are often used for the management of the same cardiovascular disorders, including angina pectoris, ischaemic heart disease and hypertension. Whether some advantage might be gained from their combined use depends upon a precise understanding of how these drugs interact with the cardiovascular system. It also requires a clear recognition of the different pharmacological profiles displayed by individual members of the same class of drugs.