This double-blind, multicenter randomized study compared aliskiren versus placebo in 613 patients with coronary artery disease and systolic blood pressure between 125 and 139 mm Hg (pre hypertensive stage) together with 2 risk factors. All patients underwent coronary intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) and randomized to aliskiren 300 mg (305 patients) or placebo (308 patients). At 72 weeks of starting treatment IVUS was performed once again to compare. The primary endpoint was the change in atheroma volume between baseline and end of the study. The IVUS efficacy criterion was not different between the two groups (p = .08).
Conclusion:
In patients with pre-hypertension and coronary heart disease, the use of aliskiren compared to placebo was not decreased or delayed progression of coronary atherosclerosis.
S J Nicholls
2013-09-03
Original title: AQUARIUS: Effect of the Renin Inhibitor Aliskiren on Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis: Study Results
