✓ Nifedipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker that lowers peripheral vascular resistance to effectively treat hypertension and angina (both stable and vasospastic).
• In obstetric emergencies, it is heavily utilized off label as a first line tocolytic agent to suppress premature uterine contractions and delay preterm labor.
• It manages Raynaud’s phenomenon by preventing cold induced digital vasospasms and is applied topically to heal anal fissures by relaxing the internal sphincter.
• It is associated with gingival hyperplasia, reflex tachycardia, and it has a mechanism of blocking L-type calcium channels in vascular smooth muscle.