Efficacy and Safety of Aldosterone Synthase Inhibitors for Hypertension

Background

Hypertension is a major global health issue. Aldosterone synthase inhibitors (ASIs) have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for blood pressure control.

Methods

A thorough search of the MEDLINE and Embase databases up to March 30, 2024, identified randomized trials comparing ASIs with a placebo for hypertension treatment. Data extraction was done independently by 2 authors. Both random-effects (Restricted maximum likelihood) and fixed-effects meta-analyses were conducted to account for diversity and study size, respectively. Risk ratios for binary outcomes and mean differences for continuous outcomes were calculated.

Results

Seven randomized controlled trials involving 1440 patients (mean age, 60 years; 39% women) were included. The analysis showed that ASIs reduced office systolic blood pressure by 6.3 mm Hg ([95% CI, -8.8 to -3.8]; P<0.0001) and diastolic blood pressure by 2.2 mm Hg ([95% CI, -4.2 to -0.2]; P=0.03). The risk ratio for adverse events was 1.1 ([95% CI, 0.9-1.2]; P=0.3), with a similar trend for serious adverse events (risk ratio, 1.0 [95% CI, 0.5-2.3]; P=0.95). No treatment-related deaths occurred. However, the risk of hyperkalemia was higher with ASIs (risk ratio, 2.5 [95% CI, [1.2-5.4]; P<0.02).

Conclusions

ASIs effectively reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients and have a tolerable safety profile. The increased risk of hyperkalemia requires careful monitoring. These findings suggest ASIs are a potential treatment option for hypertension, pending further research in larger studies.