(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- RAS blockers, medications that block the renin-angiotensin system, protect against kidney disease in diabetics -- one of
the main complications of diabetes. A new study shows these drugs work, at least
in part, by improving blood flow to the kidneys.
Researchers from the Medical School Hannover in Germany tested the
RAS-blocking drug olmesartan, also known as Benicar, on 19 people with diabetes.
That group as well as a placebo group of 19 patients was treated for 12
weeks.
As researchers expected, olmesartan significantly reduced blood pressure. It
also increased the rate of blood flow through the kidneys. Blood flow in
patients in the placebo group decreased. Additionally, olmesartan-treated
patients experienced a reduction in renovascular resistance, which measures
resistance to blood flow in the kidney blood vessels. The opposite was true for
patients in the placebo group.
Patients receiving olmesartan also had reduced signs of oxidative stress,
which is believed to contribute to kidney damage. It refers to the buildup of
unstable, potentially harmful molecules that have been linked to cardiovascular
disease.
Researchers say these results may help explain how RAS blockers can prevent,
or at least slow, kidney disease among people with diabetes. Another study is
underway to determine if treating these patients with olmesartan can reduce
long-term risk of kidney disease and other complications from diabetes.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, published
online Feb. 16, 2005
