Nifedipine (brand name Adalat and Procardia) is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker. Its main uses are in angina pectoris (especially Prinzmetal angina) and hypertension, although a large number of other uses have recently been found for this agent, such as Raynaud's phenomenon, premature labor, and painful spasms of the esophagus in cancer patients. CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences and alloys. ... The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System is used for the classification of drugs. ... A chemical formula (also called molecular formula) is a concise way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound. ... The molecular mass of a substance (less accurately called molecular weight and abbreviated as MW) is the mass of one molecule of that substance, relative to the unified atomic mass unit u (equal to 1/12 the mass of one atom of carbon-12). ... In pharmacology, bioavailability is a term used to describe a pharmacokinetic property of drugs, namely, the fraction of a dose which reaches the systemic circulation. ... The elimination half-life of a drug (or any xenobiotic agent) refers to the timecourse necessary for the quantity of the xenobiotic agent in the body (or plasma concentration) to be reduced to half of its original level through various elimination processes. ... --212. ... The pregnancy category of a pharmaceutical agent is an assessment of the risk of fetal injury due to the pharmaceutical, if it is used as directed by the mother. ... The regulation of therapeutic goods, that is drugs and therapeutic devices, varies by jurisdiction. ... Calcium channel blockers are a class of drugs with effects on the muscle of the heart and the muscles of the rest of the body. ... Hypertension or high blood pressure is a medical condition where the blood pressure in the arteries is chronically elevated. ... In medicine, Raynauds phenomenon is discoloration of the fingers or toes due to emotion or cold in a characteristic pattern in time: white, blue and red. ... Premature birth is defined medically as a birth occurring earlier than 37 weeks. ... The esophagus, oe/œsophagus*, or gullet is the muscular tube in vertebrates through which ingested food passes from the mouth area to the stomach. ... When normal cells are damaged or old they undergo apoptosis; cancer cells, however, avoid apoptosis. ...

See Also

• Nifedipine - rxlist.com
• Nifedipine - medlineplus.org