Recent evidence suggests that platelet activation and angiotensin II may each contribute to glomerular inflammation and fibrosis. Clopidogrel inhibits platelet activation and may also reduce inflammation. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory and renoprotective effects of clopidogrel and irbesartan in the five-sixths nephrectomy rat model of chronic kidney disease. After 8 wk of treatme...

AIMS This study investigated the effects of irbesartan vs. enalapril, with early vs. late treatment, on markers of inflammation and ischaemic heart disease in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS). METHODS AND RESULTS Patients hospitalized with ischaemic symptoms and evidence of NSTEACS were randomized to early (at hospitalization) or late (at hospital disch...

BACKGROUND Data from studies of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors provide evidence that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system plays a role as a mediator of atrial remodeling in atrial fibrillation. The present study has evaluated the effect of treatment with the angiotensin I type 1 receptor blocker irbesartan on maintaining sinus rhythm after conversion from persistent atrial fibrill...

Objective: The beneficial effect of chronic angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition on survival has for long been established in the rat post-infarction model of chronic heart failure (CHF) and has subsequently been confirmed in humans. This study investigates in rats whether chronic angiotensin II AT receptor blockade shares with ACE inhibition the same beneficial effect. Methods: Rat...

The authors examined the comparative effectiveness of 4 angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in patients with hypertension using a large electronic medical record database. Analysis of covariance and logistic multivariate regression models were used to estimate the blood pressure (BP) outcomes of 73,012 patients during 13 months of treatment with olmesartan, losartan, valsartan, and irbesartan....

To investigate the functional consequences of postinfarct cardiac angiotensin (ANG) type 2 (AT(2)) receptor upregulation, rats underwent coronary artery ligation or sham operation and were infused with ANG II 3-4 wk later, when scar formation is complete. ANG II increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) more modestly in infarcted animals than in sham animals. The AT(1) receptor antagonist irbesart...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is known to be an important risk factor for thrombo-embolism. AF has been shown to induce a prolonged mechanical dysfunction of the atria, which becomes apparent after successful conversion of AF to normal sinus rhythm. The reduced mechanical function after termination of AF has been termed atrial stunning. Atrial stunning has been described after electrical (DC shock, ...

BACKGROUND Increased aortic stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) are independent risk factors of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients. We have conducted a prospective study to examine the effects of the angiotensin II receptor antagonist (irbesartan) on PWV and LVH in hypertensive patients. METHODS A total of 52 untreated hypertensiv...

Although diabetic nephropathy is often a low renin state, the renin system appears to be implicated in its pathogenesis. In this study, it was hypothesized that the low plasma renin activity (PRA) is misleading, masking and perhaps reflecting an activated intrarenal renin system. PRA and renal vascular responses (inulin and para-aminohippurate clearance) to graded doses of an angiotensin II (An...

Pravastatin, irbesartan and captopril are frequently used in the treatment of patients with Type 2 diabetes. These drugs also exert beneficial metabolic effects, causing an improved glucose tolerance in patients, but the precise mechanisms by which this is achieved remain elusive. To this end, we have studied whether these drugs influence insulin secretion in vivo through effects on islet blood...