Effect of angiotensin II receptor blocker and salt supplementation on short-term blood pressure variability in type 2 diabetes

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial paper looks at Angiotensin II in the context of low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension.

The researchers aimed to determine the effect of dietary salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) supplementation on 24-h mean arterial BPV (24hBPV) during angiotensin II receptor blocker (telmisartan) use and to evaluate the effects of age, sex, plasma renin activity (PRA) and serum aldosterone on 24hBPV.

Why It Was Studied

The effect of dietary salt and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activity on short-term BPV in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is not well characterised.

Twenty-four hour urinary sodium excretion, ambulatory BP and biochemical tests were performed at each phase.

Who Took Part

PubMed tags the participants as women only.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

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

As a double-blind Angiotensin II study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Angiotensin II group a baseline to be compared against.

Each person switched between Angiotensin II and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

Following a 6-week washout, the protocol was repeated in reverse. 24hBPV was evaluated as a co-efficient of variation [CV (%) = mean/standard deviation] × 100).

What Was Measured

Twenty-four hour urinary sodium excretion, ambulatory BP and biochemical tests were performed at each phase.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Aldosterone, Angiotensin II, Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists, Blood Pressure, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Dietary Supplements and Hypertension.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Angiotensin II in people with low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension.

The publication is from 2020 (Journal of human hypertension), a journal based in England.

More context: the Angiotensin II compound page, Low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension research.