Final answer:
Calcium channel blockers such as Amlodipine, Diltiazem, and Verapamil are used to manage cardiovascular conditions and affect the cardiac action potential.
Step-by-step explanation:
Calcium channel blockers are a class of drugs that are utilized to treat various cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, angina pectoris, and some arrhythmias. Some well-known calcium channel blockers include Amlodipine (Norvasc, Lotrel), Diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac), Felodipine (Plendil), Nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), Nimodipine (Nimotop), Nisoldipine (Sular), and Verapamil (Calan, Verelan).
These drugs play a crucial role in managing cardiac dysrhythmia by affecting calcium ion influx, which is essential for the plateau phase of the cardiac action potential and for muscle contraction. By blocking these calcium channels, the drugs decrease the strength of myocardial contraction (negative inotropic effect) and reduce demand for oxygen in the heart muscle, thereby alleviating symptoms of angina pectoris.
Potassium channel blockers like amiodarone and procainamide, on the other hand, are used for abnormal electrical activity in the heart and affect the repolarization phase of the cardiac action potential, by blocking K+ movement through voltage-gated K+ channels.