title: Diuretic and enhanced sodium restriction results in improved antiproteinuric response to RAS blocking agents.
abstract: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and diuretics may exert synergistic antiproteinuric effects. Eighteen patients with a proteinuria >1 g/24 h after 6 mo of treatment with ramipril at 5 mg/d were assigned to receive in random order ramipril at 10 mg/d, valsartan at 160 mg/d, or combined ramipril at 5 mg/d and valsartan at 80 mg/d in addition to their antihypertensive treatment. The treatment periods lasted 4 wk and were separated by a 4-wk washout with ramipril at 5 mg/d. At the end of this crossover sequence, patients received combined ramipril at 5 mg/d, valsartan at 80 mg/d, and an increased furosemide dosage for an additional 4-wk period. The primary end point was the urinary protein/creatinine ratio for two 24-h urine collections at the end of each treatment period. No significant differences were noted between the study end points of the ramipril 10, valsartan 160, and combined ramipril 5 and valsartan 80 treatment groups. However, the urinary protein/creatinine ratio was lower with combined ramipril 5 and valsartan 80-increased furosemide dosage than with valsartan 160 and combined ramipril 5 and valsartan 80, with a similar tendency compared with ramipril 10. Combined ramipril 5 and valsartan 80-increased furosemide dosage decreased systolic home BP and increased serum creatinine but did not significantly increase the number of symptomatic hypotension cases compared with the other three treatments. Thus, in patients with severe proteinuria and hypertension, a cautious increase in diuretic dosage in addition to combined angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decreases proteinuria and BP but may expose the patient to prerenal failure.
authors.affiliation: Service de Néphrologie et Immunologie Clinique, CHU de Nantes, 30 Boulevard Jean Monnet, 44093 Nantes, France. vesnault@nantes.inserm.fr
authors.forename: Vincent L M
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Esnault
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ekhlas
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delcroix
authors.forename: Marie-Geneviève
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Moutel
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nguyen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004039:Diet, Sodium-Restricted; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017257:Ramipril / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068756:Valsartan
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004232:Diuretics; D013777:Tetrazoles; D000068756:Valsartan; D014633:Valine; D017257:Ramipril