Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Highlight
  • Published:

Heart failure

Placing an EMPHASIS on the mineralocorticoid receptor—benefit of eplerenone in mild HF

Nature Reviews Cardiology volume 8, page 1 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Earlier studies of MRAs have shown that these agents benefit patients with moderate to severe HF (spironolactone in RALES) and those with HF post-infarction (eplerenone in EPHESUS). “The results [of EMPHASIS-HF] extend the findings of RALES and EPHESUS and the benefits of MRAs to a milder HF population,” explains investigator Faiez Zannad.

Eplerenone works by antagonizing the action of aldosterone at the mineralocorticoid receptor. An elevated aldosterone level is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease, and mineralocorticoid receptors are overexpressed in the hearts of patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Conventional therapies, such as angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARB) and β-blockers do not act on the mineralocorticoid receptor and, therefore, do not reduce plasma aldosterone levels. Eplerenone thus fills a therapeutic gap in the treatment of patients with HF.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Zannad, F. et al. for the EMPHASIS-HF Study Group. Eplerenone in patients with systolic heart failure and mild symptoms. N. Engl. J. Med. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1009492

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Alexandra King
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

King, A. Placing an EMPHASIS on the mineralocorticoid receptor—benefit of eplerenone in mild HF. Nat Rev Cardiol 8, 1 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2010.188

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2010.188

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing