Popular blood-pressure drug linked to increased cardiac-arrest risk: what does this mean?
The headline is referring to nifedipine, a calcium-channel blocker used to treat high blood pressure and angina.
A 2019 study using data from Dutch and Danish cardiac-arrest registries found an association between high-dose nifedipine (60 mg/day or more) and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The researchers did not find the same association with amlodipine.
M
Medical News Today
+1
But there is an important caveat
This was observational research, presented in 2019, and the researchers themselves emphasized that the finding needed confirmation in additional studies. It does not prove that nifedipine causes cardiac arrest, nor does it mean that everyone taking nifedipine is at high risk.
M
Medical News Today
The proposed explanation was that high-dose nifedipine might affect the electrical activity of heart cells in a way that could promote dangerous arrhythmias. This was supported by laboratory experiments, but again, further research is needed to establish the clinical significance.
M
Medical News Today
Should you stop nifedipine?
No—don’t stop or change a prescribed blood-pressure medication because of this headline. Uncontrolled high blood pressure itself substantially increases cardiovascular risk, and your doctor chose the medication based on your individual circumstances.
If you’re taking nifedipine—particularly 60 mg/day or more—and are worried, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether your dose and medication remain appropriate.
Emergency warning: chest pressure/pain, severe shortness of breath, fainting, or sudden collapse requires emergency medical attention.
Bottom line: The headline is based on a real but preliminary association involving high-dose nifedipine, not evidence that ordinary nifedipine use inevitably causes cardiac arrest.
C
CORDIS
M
C
Sources
