What is the class of Verapamil?

Verapamil belongs to the class of drugs known as calcium channel blockers. This group of medications is primarily used to manage hypertension, angina, and certain arrhythmias. By blocking the influx of calcium ions into cardiac and smooth muscle cells, verapamil decreases myocardial contractility, slows down conduction through the AV node, and relaxes vascular smooth muscles, which results in a decrease in blood pressure and a reduction in heart workload.

In contrast, beta blockers are a different class of medications primarily used to reduce heart rate and exert negative inotropic effects by blocking beta-adrenergic receptors. Anticholinergics act on the parasympathetic nervous system by inhibiting the effects of acetylcholine, opioids are used for pain management due to their analgesic properties, and benzodiazepines are anxiolytics that enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter GABA to produce a calming effect. Each of these classes serves distinct therapeutic roles, emphasizing the specificity of verapamil as a calcium channel blocker rather than fitting into any of the other mentioned categories.