The renoprotective effect of antihypertensive drugs.
Some antihypertensive drugs may have a renoprotective effect, that is partially independent of their ability to reduce blood pressure. ACE-inhibitors are safe and effective agents that are capable of reducing proteinuria and preventing CRF progression. The results of the AIPRI extension study suggest that they may also have a long-term renoprotective effect. ACE gene polymorphism may partially influence the response to these agents. Angiotensin II receptor 1 antagonists (AT1RA) are effective in reducing proteinuria, but their clinical impact is still a matter of study. It has been shown that non-dihydropyridine and some dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCBs) reduce proteinuria and are also renoprotective, but there is a lack of large-scale prospective randomised trials. Given that the use of various drugs is usually needed to achieve good blood pressure control in patients with CRF, the possibility that a combination of ACE-inhibitors with CCBs or ATIRAs may have an additive renoprotective effect is intriguing.
Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Ospedale di Lecco, Italy. nefrolec@tin.it
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Locatelli
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Del Vecchio
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Marai
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Colzani
D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000502:physiology; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects*
D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D000804:Angiotensin II