Researchers brand aim to assistance strengthen kidney patients’ heart health


Dec. 13, 2012 ? Blocking a receptor for proteins that shackle blood vessels reduces markers of heart-related problems in patients with ongoing kidney illness (CKD), according to a investigate appearing in an arriving emanate of a Journal of a American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The commentary competence be used to urge a health of patients with CKD, who many mostly die from cardiovascular disease.

Patients with CKD have an increasing risk of building heart problems, in partial since kidney illness can means their arteries to stiffen. This is suspicion to start due to an marred accessibility of a vasodilator — nitric oxide (NO) — in a blood. The protein endothelin-1 is a vasoconstrictor and opposes a actions of NO, suggesting that drugs that retard a effects might assistance strengthen CKD patients’ heart health. One such drug is called sitaxentan, that blocks endothelin-1′s receptor (called a ETA receptor).

Neeraj Dhaun, MD, PhD (University of Edinburgh, in Scotland) and his colleagues conducted a randomized, double-blind investigate in 27 patients with CKD to review a effects of sitaxentan, nifedipine (a blood vessel relaxant), and remedy on kidney function, blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and several heart-related markers.

Among a vital commentary after 6 weeks of treatment:

  • Placebo and nifedipine did not impact 3 markers of heart-related problems: blood levels of uric acid; blood levels of uneven dimethylarginine (ADMA), a blocker of NO production; and urine levels of endothelin-1.
  • Sitaxentan diagnosis led to statistically poignant reductions in all 3 of these markers.
  • Sitaxentan reduced proteinuria (an additional excretion of protein in a urine) to a significantly larger border than nifedipine. Proteinuria is an indicator of kidney dysfunction.
  • Nifedpine and sitaxentan both reduced blood vigour to a identical extent.

“The stream investigate shows, for a initial time, that ETA receptor enmity selectively lowers novel cardiovascular risk factors in patients with kidney illness eccentric of blood pressure. These effects were seen in patients already receiving optimal treatment,” pronounced Dr. Dhaun. “These commentary advise a intensity purpose for ETA receptor enmity in consultation additional longer-term cardiovascular and renal advantages in patients with kidney disease,” he added.

Study co-authors embody Vanessa Melville, RN, Scott Blackwell, MD, Dinesh Talwar, PhD, Neil Johnston, MSc, Jane Goddard, MD, PhD, and David Webb, MD, FRCP.

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