Abstract

Activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is associated with unsatisfactory outcomes in patients with hypertension and congestive heart failure, in that activation of this system is correlated strongly with both the incidence and extent of end-organ damage. Despite the availability of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and the AT1 receptor antagonists, unblocked aldosterone levels remain an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease progression. New preclinical data generated over the past few years strongly support the hypothesis that aldosterone has important deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system independent of the classical action of this hormone on renal epithelial cells. The new selective aldosterone receptor antagonist eplerenone has been shown to produce significant cardioprotective effects in experimental models of cardiovascular disease. Early clinical testing suggests that eplerenone may have important therapeutic benefit in the treatment of hypertension and heart failure.