New generations of dihydropyridines for treatment of hypertension.

Since the calcium channel blocker (CCB) has become one of the most prescribed agents for antihypertensive monotherapy in the world, this brief review will focus on the recent research and development of the dihydropyridine (DHP) CCB, addressing pharmacological mechanisms for the clinical efficacy of the third and fourth generations of the DHP CCBs, especially on their possible central mechanisms underlying lowering blood pressure.