Felodipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker mainly used for the treatment of hypertension and angina pectoris, acting by selectively inhibiting L-type calcium channels in vascular smooth muscle to produce vasodilation and lower blood pressure. It was developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a second-generation calcium antagonist to improve vascular selectivity, duration of action, and tolerability compared to earlier agents. Introduced into clinical use with extended-release formulations, felodipine gained wide acceptance for long-term blood pressure control, either alone or in combination with other antihypertensive drugs.
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