Biomaterial Database

Blocking the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system or lowering the blood pressure: does EUROPA help? 2003

Judy A Mackay

Department of Medicine, Hillingdon Hospital, Uxbridge, UB8 3NN, UK. judyasever@aol.com

The EUropean trial on Reduction Of cardiac events with Perindopril in stable coronary Artery disease (EUROPA) demonstrated that the angiotensin- converting enzyme inhibitor, perindopril, compared with placebo, in patients with established coronary artery disease, reduced cardiovascular endpoints by 20% over a four-year follow-up period. Although the authors of this study claim that the risk reduction was best explained by blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, reference to recent meta-analyses of blood pressure (BP)-lowering trials provides compelling evidence that the benefits observed in the trial could be explained by the 5/2 mmHg BP difference between active and placebo treatments.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D012084	Renin-Angiotensin System	A BLOOD PRESSURE regulating system of interacting components that include RENIN; ANGIOTENSINOGEN; ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING ENZYME; ANGIOTENSIN I; ANGIOTENSIN II; and angiotensinase. Renin, an enzyme produced in the kidney, acts on angiotensinogen, an alpha-2 globulin produced by the liver, forming ANGIOTENSIN I. Angiotensin-converting enzyme, contained in the lung, acts on angiotensin I in the plasma converting it to ANGIOTENSIN II, an extremely powerful vasoconstrictor. Angiotensin II causes contraction of the arteriolar and renal VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE, leading to retention of salt and water in the KIDNEY and increased arterial blood pressure. In addition, angiotensin II stimulates the release of ALDOSTERONE from the ADRENAL CORTEX, which in turn also increases salt and water retention in the kidney. Angiotensin-converting enzyme also breaks down BRADYKININ, a powerful vasodilator and component of the KALLIKREIN-KININ SYSTEM.	Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System,Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System,Renin Angiotensin System,System, Renin-Angiotensin,System, Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone
D001794	Blood Pressure	PRESSURE of the BLOOD on the ARTERIES and other BLOOD VESSELS.	Systolic Pressure,Diastolic Pressure,Pulse Pressure,Pressure, Blood,Pressure, Diastolic,Pressure, Pulse,Pressure, Systolic,Pressures, Systolic
D003327	Coronary Disease	An imbalance between myocardial functional requirements and the capacity of the CORONARY VESSELS to supply sufficient blood flow. It is a form of MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA (insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle) caused by a decreased capacity of the coronary vessels.	Coronary Heart Disease,Coronary Diseases,Coronary Heart Diseases,Disease, Coronary,Disease, Coronary Heart,Diseases, Coronary,Diseases, Coronary Heart,Heart Disease, Coronary,Heart Diseases, Coronary
D006331	Heart Diseases	Pathological conditions involving the HEART including its structural and functional abnormalities.	Cardiac Disorders,Heart Disorders,Cardiac Diseases,Cardiac Disease,Cardiac Disorder,Heart Disease,Heart Disorder
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000806	Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors	A class of drugs whose main indications are the treatment of hypertension and heart failure. They exert their hemodynamic effect mainly by inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system. They also modulate sympathetic nervous system activity and increase prostaglandin synthesis. They cause mainly vasodilation and mild natriuresis without affecting heart rate and contractility.	ACE Inhibitor,ACE Inhibitors,Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor,Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor,Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor,Kininase II Inhibitor,Kininase II Inhibitors,Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors,Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Antagonists,Antagonists, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme,Antagonists, Kininase II,Inhibitors, ACE,Inhibitors, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme,Inhibitors, Kininase II,Kininase II Antagonists,Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Antagonists,Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors,Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme Inhibitor,Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme Inhibitors,Antagonists, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme,Enzyme Antagonists, Angiotensin-Converting,Enzyme Inhibitor, Angiotensin-Converting,Enzyme Inhibitors, Angiotensin-Converting,II Inhibitor, Kininase,Inhibitor, ACE,Inhibitor, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme,Inhibitor, Kininase II,Inhibitors, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme
D000959	Antihypertensive Agents	Drugs used in the treatment of acute or chronic vascular HYPERTENSION regardless of pharmacological mechanism. Among the antihypertensive agents are DIURETICS; (especially DIURETICS, THIAZIDE); ADRENERGIC BETA-ANTAGONISTS; ADRENERGIC ALPHA-ANTAGONISTS; ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME INHIBITORS; CALCIUM CHANNEL BLOCKERS; GANGLIONIC BLOCKERS; and VASODILATOR AGENTS.	Anti-Hypertensive,Anti-Hypertensive Agent,Anti-Hypertensive Drug,Antihypertensive,Antihypertensive Agent,Antihypertensive Drug,Anti-Hypertensive Agents,Anti-Hypertensive Drugs,Anti-Hypertensives,Antihypertensive Drugs,Antihypertensives,Agent, Anti-Hypertensive,Agent, Antihypertensive,Agents, Anti-Hypertensive,Agents, Antihypertensive,Anti Hypertensive,Anti Hypertensive Agent,Anti Hypertensive Agents,Anti Hypertensive Drug,Anti Hypertensive Drugs,Anti Hypertensives,Drug, Anti-Hypertensive,Drug, Antihypertensive,Drugs, Anti-Hypertensive,Drugs, Antihypertensive
D018849	Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic	Works about clinical trials involving one or more test treatments, at least one control treatment, specified outcome measures for evaluating the studied intervention, and a bias-free method for assigning patients to the test treatment. The treatment may be drugs, devices, or procedures studied for diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic effectiveness. Control measures include placebos, active medicines, no-treatment, dosage forms and regimens, historical comparisons, etc. When randomization using mathematical techniques, such as the use of a random numbers table, is employed to assign patients to test or control treatments, the trials are characterized as RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS AS TOPIC.	Clinical Trials, Controlled as Topic
D020913	Perindopril	An angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. It is used in patients with hypertension and heart failure.	Perindopril Erbumine,Perstarium,Pirindopril,S 9490-3,S-9490,Erbumine, Perindopril,S 9490,S 9490 3,S 94903,S9490