Use of Calcium Channel Blockers and Risk of Hospitalized Gastrointestinal Tract Bleeding

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Abstract
ALTHOUGH the results of some observational studies1,2 suggest that use of calcium channel blockers might be associated with an approximately 2-fold increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding, other studies3-5 have not confirmed this finding. Each of the 3 major calcium channel blocker subclasses has been shown to inhibit platelet function in experimental studies.6-10 Calcium channel blocker therapy also has a vasodilatory effect that might interfere with the normal vasoconstrictive response to bleeding.11 It is therefore biologically plausible that calcium channel blocker therapy might increase the risk of GI tract bleeding, although whether it does so in practice remains an unanswered question.