Gingival Overgrowth In Patients Induced By Calcium Channel Blockers

Gingival enlargement can be caused by a number of factors, including inflammatory conditions and the side effects of certain medications. Gingival overgrowth is one of the frequent features of gingival diseases. Objective: To find out frequency of calcium channel blockers causing gingival overgrowth. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among cardiac patients visiting the cardiology department at Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad by convenience sampling technique for a time duration of six months. SPSS version 23.0, was used for data analysis. Chi-square test was applied with a significance level of P-value <0.05. Results: The most commonly used calcium channel blockers were amlodipine and diltiazem at 31.3% and 26.7% respectively, while 15.6% of cases were using nifedipine, 14.4% were on verapamil and 11.9% were on calcium channel blocker drug of bepridil. The severity of gingival overgrowth was significantly correlated with the male gender (p value= 0.001). Conclusions: After administration of calcium channel blockers, there is a potential that adverse consequences may occur such as gingival overgrowth, will become more common by prolong use of such drugs as indicated in this study.