Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN
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Clin J Am Soc Nephrol · Sep 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudySelective aldosterone blockade with eplerenone reduces albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Previous studies have shown that the selective aldosterone blocker eplerenone, in doses of up to 200 mg/d, reduces albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. This study was conducted to ascertain whether lower doses of eplerenone (50 or 100 mg/d) co-administered with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapril would produce a similar antialbuminuric effect while obviating the hyperkalemia observed previously. After open-label run-in with enalapril 20 mg/d, patients with diabetes and a urinary albumin:creatinine ratio (UACR) > or = 50 mg/g were randomly assigned to receive enalapril plus one of three double-blind daily treatments for 12 wk: placebo, eplerenone 50 mg (EPL50), or eplerenone 100 mg (EPL100). ⋯ For the secondary end points, both eplerenone treatment groups significantly reduced albuminuria from baseline as early as week 4 (P < 0.001), whereas placebo treatment (including enalapril) did not result in any significant decreases in UACR. Systolic BP decreased significantly in all treatment groups at all time points, but, generally, all treatment groups experienced similar decreases in BP. Co-administration of EPL50 or EPL100 with an ACE inhibitor as compared with an ACE inhibitor alone significantly reduces albuminuria in patients with diabetes without producing significant increases in hyperkalemia.