[The revived interest in aldosterone antagonists].
Aldosterone plays a pivotal role in sodium and water homeostasis, in particular in patients with heart failure or high blood pressure. These medications, when used on top of a standard therapy, improve the outcome of patients with heart failure and are also effective in lowering blood pressure of hypertensive patients. The major risk associated with the use of these antagonists is hyperkalemia, which can be prevented in avoiding their prescription in patients with impaired renal function. Eplerenone has the advantage, compared with spironolactone, to be better tolerated in terms of "hormonal" adverse effects.
Waeber
B
B
Division de physiopathologie clinique, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne. Bernard.Waeber@chuv.ch
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000077545:Eplerenone; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013148:Spironolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; D013148:Spironolactone; D000077545:Eplerenone