Effects of an angiotensin II receptor blocker, valsartan, on residual renal function in patients on CAPD.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers in this randomized controlled trial publication.

Both residual renal function and blood pressure (BP) control contribute to patient survival in patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).

Who Took Part

The study group was 34 patients.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were middle-aged adults, both men and women.

The researchers examined the effects of an angiotensin II receptor blocker, valsartan, on residual renal function and total clearance (renal and peritoneal) in 34 Japanese CAPD patients from 3 months to 2 years after the start of dialysis therapy.

Patients were randomly assigned to valsartan (n = 18; age, 63.5 +/- 3.7 years; 11 men, 7 women) or a control group (n = 16; age, 63.5 +/- 3.3 years; 10 men, 6 women).

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Conventional antihypertensive treatment was continued in all patients to achieve the target BP in both groups of 130/80 mm Hg or less, measured at home.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers, Antihypertensive Agents, Blood Pressure, Creatinine, Hypertension, Japan and Kidney.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized study of Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers in 34 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 4 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2004 (American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation), a journal based in United States.

More context: all human trials.