Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Nesiritide is a synthetic form of B-type natriuretic peptide. It is approved for the treatment of acute exacerbations of congestive heart failure in hospitalized adult patients. It is currently under investigation for use in other settings and other patient populations. This article describes administration of nesiritide to an infant patient with severe pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale. No adverse reactions occurred during administration of the drug. Specifically, there was no hypertension, vomiting, arrhythmia, or changes in renal function. No changes in renal function occurred in the months subsequent to treatment. This case report illustrates that nesiritide can be safely administered to critically ill infants with pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale. Our patient experienced a decrease in pulmonary pressure and improved clinical condition during and after the infusion. However, further study is required to fully evaluate the safety and efficacy of nesiritide for these patients.
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PMID:Nesiritide for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale in an infant. 1737 50

One of the most important comorbidities in heart failure is renal dysfunction. Diminished estimated glomerular filtration rate is a potent predictor of cardiovascular mortality and complications. On the other hand, worsening heart failure or acute decompensated heart failure can accelerate worsening of renal function--the so-called cardiorenal syndrome. Risk factors include hypertension, diabetes, elderly age, and prior history of heart or renal failure. The pathophysiology of the cardiorenal syndrome involves intrarenal hemodynamics, transrenal perfusion pressure and systemic neurohormonal factors. Clinical management of the patient with cardiorenal syndrome includes the challenge of diuretic resistance, which may involve correcting the underlying cause, combination diuretics or diuretic infusions. The key to improved outcome is the optimization of proven heart failure therapies. The use of vasodilator therapy is the current mainstay of treatment. Nesiritide, or recombinant B-type natriuretic peptide, has courted controversy regarding its role in cardiorenal syndrome. However, data are emerging that low doses appear to be renal-protective. Other more recent strategies include ultrafiltration, vasopressin antagonists and adenosine antagonists. All of these newer modalities promise more rapid volume removal, but their ultimate impact on survival or preservation of renal function is unknown at the present time. Because of the complex nature of these patients, and the compromised outcome, it is important that cardiologists, nephrologists and internists all work together toward the common goal of protecting the patient with cardiorenal syndrome, and use the best available evidence for management.
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PMID:Cardiorenal syndrome in heart failure: a cardiologist's perspective. 1862 86

Discoveries of the cardiac natriuretic peptides ANP, BNP, and CNP along with studies of their function and regulation in health and disease, have led to breakthroughs in the understanding and clinical management of heart failure. Analysis of the ANP and BNP promoters and patterns of expression uncovered a set of key regulators and pathways that converge onto these sensitive markers of early myocyte differentiation and cardiac stress. Among the most studied are the transcription factors GATA4, TBX5, and NKX2-5, which are central to cardiac development and mutations of which are associated with congenital heart disease. In clinical practice, plasma natriuretic peptides levels have been used as quantitative biomarkers of heart failure and proved to be highly effective for the diagnosis of heart failure, for risk-stratification of patients and guided therapy, as well as for screening for subclinical cardiac stress. Emerging studies are revealing the cardioprotective attributes of these peptides and may offer new therapeutic venues for myocardial infarction and heart failure. Clinical trials have documented the benefits and risks of the use of synthetic ANP (Anaritide) and BNP (Nesiritide) for treating heart failure, renal failure, and hypertension. This review summarizes the function and regulation of cardiac natriuretic peptides and the translation of the basic biochemical discoveries into clinical practice both at the diagnostic and therapeutic level.
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PMID:Cardiac natriuretic peptides: from basic discovery to clinical practice. 2043 83