Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Hypertension (HT) is a major risk factor for CVD. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of HT in HD patients. Previous studies suggested that the blockade of RAAS may be effective to control blood pressure (BP) and to prevent CVD in HD patients. A certain level of preventive effects against CVD by RAAS blockade in HD patients has been reported independently from a BP lowering effect. This review focuses on the effect of blocking RAAS in HD patients for the control of HT and the prevention of CVD

Keywords: Hemodialysis patinets, renin, angiotensin I, angiotensin II, aldosterone, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, angiotensin II receptor blockers, direct renin inhibitor, angiotensin-receptor blocker, blood pressure, cardiovascular disease