Background and objectives: Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system decreases proteinuria and slows estimated GFR decline in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with overt nephropathy. Serum aldosterone levels may increase during renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade. The determinants and consequences of this aldosterone breakthrough remain unknown.
Design, setting, participants, & measurements: This study examined the incidence, determinants, and changes associated with aldosterone breakthrough in a posthoc analysis of a randomized study that compared the effect of two angiotensin II receptor blockers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with overt nephropathy.
Results: Of 567 of 860 participants included in this posthoc analysis, 28% of participants developed aldosterone breakthrough, which was defined by an increase greater than 10% over baseline values of serum aldosterone levels after 1 year of angiotensin II receptor blocker treatment. Factors independently associated with aldosterone breakthrough at 1 year were lower serum aldosterone and potassium levels at baseline, higher decreases in sodium intake, systolic BP, and estimated GFR from baseline to 1 year, and use of losartan versus telmisartan. Aldosterone breakthrough at 6 months was not sustained at 1 year in 69% of cases, and it did not predict estimated GFR decrease and proteinuria increase between 6 months and 1 year.
Conclusions: Aldosterone breakthrough is a frequent event 1 year after initiating renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade, particularly in participants exposed to intensive lowering of BP with sodium depletion and short-acting angiotensin II receptor blockers. Short-term serum aldosterone level increases at 6 months are not associated with negative kidney outcomes between 6 months and 1 year.