Research Article
Long-term effects of aliskiren on blood pressure and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in hypertensive hemodialysis patients
Yoshiyuki Morishita, Minami Watanabe, Shiho Hanawa, Osamu Iimura, Sadao Tsunematsu, Kenichi Ishibashi, Eiji Kusano
Published:
DOI:
10.2147/IJNRD.S30203
License:
© 2012 Morishita et al, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd.2012This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
ObjectiveThe long-term effects of aliskiren in hypertensive hemodialysis patients remain to be elucidated.DesignIn this post hoc analysis, we followed up 25 hypertensive hemodialysis patients who completed 8-week aliskiren treatment in a previous study for 20 months to investigate the blood pressure-lowering effect and inhibitory effect on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.ResultsAmong the 25 patients, eleven patients continued with aliskiren treatment. Blood pressure (± standard deviation) decreased from 175 ± 18/80 ± 11 mmHg at baseline to 156 ± 20/76 ± 9 mmHg at month 20. Plasma renin activity, angiotensin I, and angiotensin II decreased from baseline to month 20 (plasma renin activity (ng/mL/h): 2.3 ± 2.6 to 0.3 ± 0.4 (P < 0.05), angiotensin I (pg/mL): 909.1 ± 902.5 to 41.5 ± 14.8 (P < 0.05), angiotensin II (pg/mL): 41.5 ± 45.8 to 11.0 ± 4.9 (P < 0.05)).ConclusionLong-term treatment with aliskiren provides effective blood pressure lowering and inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which are sustained over 20 months in hypertensive hemodialysis patients.