Tag Archives: MRAs

Presenters included cardiologists, Professors Michael Boehm (University of the Saarland, Homburg, Saarland, Germany) and Stefan Anker (University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany) and nephrologist, Matthew Weir (University of Maryland Medical Centre, Baltimore, Maryland, USA). Their presentations are summarised below. The addition of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) to angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition or receptor blockade (ARB) has been shown in randomised-controlled trials to improve morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure.1,2 In the EMPHASIS-HF study, the addition of eplerenone in pat

Dear Sirs, Acute decompensated heart failure (HF) is the most common cause of hospital admission among patients older than 65 years of age.1 Such patients present with dyspnoea and variable degrees of fluid retention. Although aldosterone is known to be elevated in patients with HF, it is not yet established whether aldosterone levels affect clinical presentation. We have performed a preliminary study to investigate the degree of variation in baseline aldosterone and whether there is any relationship between aldosterone levels and the extent of peripheral oedema. Methods and results We enrolled 29 patients (mean age: 76 years; range: 43−90)