Treatment with Gallopamil : Results of recent research on calcium antagonism

Calcium antagonists are currently the most extensively investigated drugs for the treatment of heart disease. They are used worldwide with great success and a comparatively low incidence of adverse reactions. The most prevalent and threatening diseases in modem industrialized societies - the various forms and complications of coronary arteriosclerosis and arterial hypertension - are amenable to treatment with calcium antagonists. The pharmacological spectrum of calcium antagonists is highly specific and was supplemen- ted a few years ago by gallopamil, a verapamil analogue. The experimental work reported at this symposium was concerned with effects of gallopamil on the electrophysiology of the heart, particularly in acute myocardial ischemia. New therapeutic features of myocardial hypertrophy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are discussed. In medical practice, gallopa- mil has proved particularly useful for the treatment of angina pectoris. Studies comparing gallopamil with other calcium antagonists are described to profile the properties of the drugs in terms of their specific therapeutic value. There is still a need for more differential therapeutic trials. This first international symposium on gallopamil was attended by experts from institutions devoted to theoretical and clinical research and general practice.