title: Pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and clinical evaluation of aliskiren for hypertension treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aliskiren, a drug which inhibits the initial and rate-limiting step of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS), recently approved for the treatment of hypertension, may become a reasonable therapeutic choice in a broad number of clinical conditions sharing an increased cardiovascular risk, where the inhibition of the RAAS has been shown to be beneficial.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present review summarizes the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of aliskiren along with the clinical trials that took into account the effects of aliskiren on blood pressure control and on a number of renal and cardiovascular end points. The specific effects of aliskiren on different populations (e.g., elderly hypertensives, patients with diabetes and hypertension, patients with hypertension and renal impairment) are discussed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The review discusses the most recent discoveries of the cardiovascular and renal effects of aliskiren, including a comprehensive discussion of the ongoing trials and of the areas of remaining uncertainty.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aliskiren is a promising drug that may become a convenient choice in several clinical conditions. The full spectrum of the beneficial effects of aliskiren will be fully elucidated when the results of the large ongoing trials become available.
authors.affiliation: University of Perugia, Department of Internal Medicine, Perugia, Italy. paolo@unipg.it
authors.forename: Gianpaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reboldi
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angeli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verdecchia
mesh_terms: D000577:Amides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005650:Fumarates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D005650:Fumarates; C446481:aliskiren; D012083:Renin