A friend left a message to Huazi, saying that he heard that benidipine is different from other dipines. What is the specific difference? Does it have a stronger blood pressure lowering effect? ​​If the current dipine is replaced with benidipine, will the effect be better?

Huazi said that dihydrotestosterone drugs are calcium channel blockers (CCBs), among which L-type calcium channels are the main target of this type of drugs. Benidipine has inhibitory effects on T-type calcium channels and N-type calcium channels. Although the antihypertensive intensity is not significantly improved, it has a better protective effect on the heart and kidneys, and the adverse reactions are relatively low.

1. The three main calcium channels

There are three main types of calcium ion channels: L, T, and N. L-type calcium channels are mainly found in cardiac and vascular smooth muscle cells and are related to smooth muscle excitability; T-type calcium channels are mainly involved in the pacemaking activities of the myocardial sinoatrial node and neurons, as well as in the regulation of renin; N-type calcium channels are found in neural tissues and their main function is to trigger the release of neurotransmitters.

All dihydropyridine drugs have a blocking effect on L-type calcium channels , which can inhibit the entry of calcium ions into cells, reduce the excitability of vascular smooth muscle, dilate blood vessels, and lower blood pressure.

Blocking T-type calcium channels can reduce neuromodulatory effects and lower renal blood flow resistance. Blocking N-type calcium channels can reduce the release of norepinephrine, which is beneficial for lowering blood pressure.

2. Benidipine has multiple channel blocking effects

Benidipine can block L-type calcium channels and exert a antihypertensive effect. Although the plasma half-life is short (about 1 hour), benidipine dissociates slowly after binding to the target . Therefore, after taking the drug once, even if the blood drug concentration decreases rapidly, it can still exert a long-term antihypertensive effect.

When using dihydropyridine drugs, neural feedback regulation often occurs due to the rapid blood pressure reduction, causing the heart rate to increase. Benidipine has a partial blocking effect on T-type calcium channels, so the adverse reaction of increased heart rate rarely occurs , and it also has a good protective effect on the kidneys. Benidipine also has a mild blocking effect on N-type calcium channels, which can also increase the blood pressure reduction effect.

3. Comparison of Benidipine with Other Dipines

The antihypertensive effect of dihydrotestosterone drugs mainly depends on the blocking of L-type calcium channels, so the antihypertensive intensity of benidipine is similar to that of other dihydrotestosterone drugs . For people taking other dihydrotestosterone drugs, switching to benidipine will not further lower their blood pressure.

Benidipine has a blocking effect on three calcium ion channels. While lowering blood pressure, it also has a good protective effect on the heart and kidneys . At the same time, because it reduces the neuromodulatory effect, it has fewer adverse reactions such as tachycardia, lower limb edema, and gingival hyperplasia compared to other dipines.

In other words, the advantage of benidipine lies mainly in the low incidence of adverse reactions , and it does not enhance the antihypertensive effect. People who are already taking other dihydrotestosterone drugs do not need to switch to benidipine if they do not experience unbearable adverse reactions. If you want to achieve a better antihypertensive effect, you can use it in combination with other antihypertensive drugs such as pril/sartan, diuretics, and lol.

It should be noted that benidipine only has a low incidence of adverse reactions, not no adverse reactions at all, so you still need to be careful of adverse reactions when taking the drug. Do not eat a lot of grapefruit when taking the drug to avoid affecting drug metabolism, causing drug accumulation and low blood pressure.

In summary, compared with other dipines, benidipine has a blocking effect on all three calcium ion channels, but its antihypertensive effect is not enhanced. Instead, it has a better protective effect on the heart and kidneys, and the incidence of adverse reactions is lower. People who are already using other dipines are not recommended to adjust their medication on their own.

Drugs must be used under the guidance of a doctor. If you have any questions about medication, please consult a doctor or pharmacist. I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.