Rheumatology
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Review Meta Analysis
Calcium channel blockers for primary Raynaud's phenomenon: a meta-analysis.
To determine the efficacy of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) for primary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). Primary outcomes were frequency and severity of RP attacks. ⋯ Several small RCTs of CCBs for primary RP have been conducted and have yielded clinical improvement in the frequency and severity of ischaemic attacks. Most trials were crossover trials in which order effect was not studied; this may have introduced bias. The effect size may have been small because of low dosing in studies. The efficacy of CCBs for reducing severity and frequency of ischaemic attacks in primary RP is small (average of 2.8 to 5.0 fewer attacks per week and a 33% reduction in severity).