title: Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and hypertension: is there a rationale?
abstract: Accumulating evidence indicates that aldosterone is involved in cardiovascular disease by inducing inflammation in the presence of moderate amounts of salt in the diet. Spironolactone and eplerenone are the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists currently available for the treatment of hypertension. They have similar safety and antihypertensive efficacy. The advantage of eplerenone is the lower incidence of anti-androgenic and progestational side effects. The rationale for using MR blockade in the treatment of hypertension is threefold: the evidence of antihypertensive efficacy, the phenomenon of "aldosterone escape" occurring with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin-receptor blockade therapy, and the compelling evidence that MR antagonism reduces target-organ damage in hypertensive patients and improves survival in patients with cardiovascular disease. Thus, blockade of the MR may be very useful in many patients with hypertension, particularly those at risk for or having evidence of target-organ damage.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine-Hypertension Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, RFB-2, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gumieniak
authors.forename: Gordon H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000419:Albuminuria / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000077545:Eplerenone; D006801:Humans; D006947:Hyperkalemia / Q000517:prevention & control; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000517:prevention & control; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D013148:Spironolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; D013148:Spironolactone; D000450:Aldosterone; D000077545:Eplerenone