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Aliskiren improves blood pressure control and prevents cardiac damage in high-risk hypertensive subjects

A Mazza1, D Montemurro, M Zuin

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital Rovigo, Italy - domenico.rubello@libero.it.

Minerva Cardioangiologica
|July 13, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Aliskiren effectively lowered blood pressure (BP) and reduced cardiac damage in high-risk patients with impaired renal function. This antihypertensive treatment was safe and reduced the need for other BP medications.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Nephrology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and renal diseases.
  • Many patients require multiple antihypertensive medications to achieve blood pressure control.
  • Patients with mild renal impairment and uncontrolled hypertension present a significant clinical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Aliskiren in high-risk hypertensive patients with mild renal impairment.
  • To assess Aliskiren's effect on cardiac damage, specifically left ventricular mass index (LVMI).
  • To determine changes in blood pressure (BP) and renal function (eGFR) during treatment.

Main Methods:

  • A 12-month longitudinal study involving 106 high-risk hypertensive patients with mild renal impairment.
  • Patients received Aliskiren 150-300 mg once-daily, with BP monitored clinically and via 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM).
  • Echocardiography for LVMI and biochemical tests for eGFR were performed at baseline and end-of-study.

Main Results:

  • Significant reductions in both clinic and ABPM systolic and diastolic BP values were observed (P<0.0001).
  • Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) significantly decreased (P<0.0001), indicating reduced cardiac damage.
  • Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) remained stable, and Aliskiren was well-tolerated, with few adverse events.

Conclusions:

  • Aliskiren effectively lowers BP and reduces LVMI in hypertensive patients with mild renal impairment.
  • The drug demonstrated a favorable safety profile, even when used with ACE inhibitors or ARBs.
  • Aliskiren treatment led to a significant reduction in the number of concomitant antihypertensive drugs needed.
Abstract

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