title: Aldosterone in heart failure: pathophysiology and treatment.
abstract: Aldosterone produces adverse effects on the vasculature (endothelial dysfunction) and on the myocardium (myocardial fibrosis). These effects have adverse clinical consequences that result in increases in deaths caused by sudden death and by progressive heart failure. The Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study and the Eplerenone Post-acute Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure Efficacy and Survival Study show this clearly. Aldosterone blockade should become a regular third neuroendocrine-blocking drug in patients with chronic heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicine and Therapeutics, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK. a.d.struthers@dundee.ac.uk
authors.forename: Allan D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Struthers
mesh_terms: D000450:Aldosterone / Q000502:physiology*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; D000450:Aldosterone