La séquence Pléistocène du site d’Umm El Tlel, Syrie

International audienc

Effects of the oral angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor MK-421 in human hypertension.

1. The effects of the new oral angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor MK-421 on blood pressure, plasma renin activity, angiotensin-II, aldosterone and converting enzyme activity were assessed in 16 hypertensive patients followed for 6--18 weeks. 2. After an initial titration period, maintenance doses of 2.5--40 mg once daily produced satisfactory blood pressure control in 11 and a partial but significant decrease in the remainder. 3. Treatment was associated with no change in heart rate and no orthostatic hypotension. At 24 h after the first effective dose, blood pressure was still decreased, plasma ACE was suppressed to 16% of the baseline, plasma angiotensin to 58%, aldosterone to 42%, and plasma renin activity was elevated to 228% of the baseline. 4. Magnitude of blood pressure fall was significantly correlated with the height of pretreatment blood pressure but not with baseline levels of plasma renin activity

Bardoxolone methyl in type 2 diabetes and stage 4 chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND: Although inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system can slow the progression of diabetic kidney disease, the residual risk is high. Whether nuclear 1 factor (erythroid-derived 2)-related factor 2 activators further reduce this risk is unknown. METHODS: We randomly assigned 2185 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and stage 4 chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate [GFR], 15 to <30 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area) to bardoxolone methyl, at a daily dose of 20 mg, or placebo. The primary composite outcome was end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or death from cardiovascular causes. RESULTS: The sponsor and the steering committee terminated the trial on the recommendation of the independent data and safety monitoring committee; the median follow-up was 9 months. A total of 69 of 1088 patients (6%) randomly assigned to bardoxolone methyl and 69 of 1097 (6%) randomly assigned to placebo had a primary composite outcome (hazard ratio in the bardoxolone methyl group vs. the placebo group, 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70 to 1.37; P=0.92). In the bardoxolone methyl group, ESRD developed in 43 patients, and 27 patients died from cardiovascular causes; in the placebo group, ESRD developed in 51 patients, and 19 patients died from cardiovascular causes. A total of 96 patients in the bardoxolone methyl group were hospitalized for heart failure or died from heart failure, as compared with 55 in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.32 to 2.55; P<0.001). Estimated GFR, blood pressure, and the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio increased significantly and body weight decreased significantly in the bardoxolone methyl group, as compared with the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and stage 4 chronic kidney disease, bardoxolone methyl did not reduce the risk of ESRD or death from cardiovascular causes. A higher rate of cardiovascular events with bardoxolone methyl than with placebo prompted termination of the trial. Copyright © 2013 Massachusetts Medical Society