Abstract

A CRITICAL REVIEW ON ALDOSTERONE ANTAGONIST EPLERENONE AND SPIRONOLACTONE AS ANTIHYPERTENSIVE AGENTS

*Apurva Barot and Prof. Dr. Indermeet Singh Anand

Abstract

The activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system leads to secretion of aldosterone. The elevated aldosterone leads to elevation of blood pressure. The angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors decrease aldosterone levels initially but it again returns to the pretreatment levels despite good compliance with this therapy. This difficulty can be overcome by the using aldosterone antagonists eplerenone and spironolactone. This article reviews the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics as well as effectiveness and tolerability differences of eplerenone and spironolactone with each other as antihypertensive agents. Both these agents reduce high blood pressure and cause increase in potassium levels, but the high incidence of sexual side effects limits spironolactone use as compared to eplerenone. At the same time high cost of eplerenone also limits its uses as an antihypertensive agent.

Keywords: Aldosterone, blood pressure, eplerenone, spironolactone, potassium, hyperkalemia.