Pharmacology and clinical relevance of vasopressin antagonists

As vasopressin receptors are found in many different tissues, vasopressin antagonists may benefit the treatment of numerous disorders. Effects of vasopressin via V1(a) and V2 receptors are closely implicated in a variety of water-retaining diseases and cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure, hyponatremia, hypertension, renal diseases, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, cirrhosis, and ocular hypertension. Furthermore, V1(a) vasopressin antagonists might be useful in cerebral ischemia and stroke, Raynaud's disease, dysmenorrhoea and tocolytic treatment. V1(b) selective vasopressin antagonists are discussed in terms of their usefulness in the treatment of emotional and psychiatric disorders. The vaptans are vasopressin receptor antagonists with V1(a) (relcovaptan) or V2 (tolvaptan, lixivaptan, satavaptan) selectivity or non-selective activity (conivaptan). Conivaptan is the first vaptan which has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of euvolemic hyponatremia. For further indications such as congenital heart failure, studies are going on.     

Glycemic control and cardiovascular mortality in hemodialysis patients with diabetes: a 6-year cohort study

Previous observational studies using differing methodologies have yielded inconsistent results regarding the association between glycemic control and outcomes in diabetic patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). We examined mortality predictability of A1C and random serum glucose over time in a contemporary cohort of 54,757 diabetic MHD patients (age 63 ± 13 years, 51% men, 30% African Americans, 19% Hispanics). Adjusted all-cause death hazard ratio (HR) for baseline A1C increments of 8.0-8.9, 9.0-9.9, and ≥10%, compared with 7.0-7.9% (reference), was 1.06 (95% CI 1.01-1.12), 1.05 (0.99-1.12), and 1.19 (1.12-1.28), respectively, and for time-averaged A1C was 1.11 (1.05-1.16), 1.36 (1.27-1.45), and 1.59 (1.46-1.72). A symmetric increase in mortality also occurred with time-averaged A1C levels in the low range (6.0-6.9%, HR 1.05 [95% CI 1.01-1.08]; 5.0-5.9%, 1.08 [1.04-1.11], and ≤5%, 1.35 [1.29-1.42]) compared with 7.0-7.9% in fully adjusted models. Adjusted all-cause death HR for time-averaged blood glucose 175-199, 200-249, 250-299, and ≥300 mg/dL, compared with 150-175 mg/dL (reference), was 1.03 (95% CI 0.99-1.07), 1.14 (1.10-1.19), 1.30 (1.23-1.37), and 1.66 (1.56-1.76), respectively. Hence, poor glycemic control (A1C ≥8% or serum glucose ≥200 mg/dL) appears to be associated with high all-cause and cardiovascular death in MHD patients. Very low glycemic levels are also associated with high mortality risk.     

Thyroid Status and Death Risk in US Veterans With Chronic Kidney Disease

Objective

Given that patients with non–dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (NDD-CKD) have a disproportionately higher prevalence of hypothyroidism compared with their non-CKD counterparts, we sought to determine the association between thyroid status, defined by serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels, and mortality among a national cohort of patients with NDD-CKD.