Changes in kidney function following heart failure treatment: focus on renin-angiotensin system blockade

This article begins with a brief overview of the therapeutic agents used in the treatment of heart failure, with a special emphasis on pharmacologic agents that block the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). The discussion then builds upon the basic pathophysiology concepts introduced earlier in this issue to explain how therapies commonly used in heart failure affect kidney function. Against this background, a few of the common clinical dilemmas that clinicians often encounter when treating patients with agents that block the RAS system are discussed.