Calcium channel blockers and myocardial infarction: a case--control study in a Japanese hospital.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship of the use of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) in hypertensive patients to myocardial infarction in Japan, where CCBs are prescribed much more frequently than in Europe and America. DESIGN: We conducted a nested case-control study using a hospital information system in Japan. SUBJECTS: Cases were hypertensive patients who were repeat visitors to Tokyo University Hospital as of April 1996 and had an incidence of fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction between 1996 and 1999. Controls were hypertensive patients individually matched to cases by sex, age and history of angina pectoris. RESULTS: The study consisted of 16 cases, who were matched to 80 controls. Of the 80 control patients, 54 (68%) received CCBs. On the other hand, all but one of 16 cases received CCBs and the crude odds ratio of myocardial infarction associated with the use of calcium channel blockers was as high as 7.0 (0.9-55.3). The odds ratio was reduced to 4.9 (0.6-42.4) when adjusted by diabetes and diastolic blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Although the crude odds ratio of myocardial infarction associated with CCBs was high, the ratio was reduced when adjusted by known confounding factors, suggesting a mechanism of confounding by indication. In addition, the results obtained in this study using records from a single hospital should not be generalized.