PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Gary Francis
AU  - Mihai Gheorghiade
TI  - The clinical effects of vasopressin receptor antagonists in heart failure
DP  - 2006 Jun 01
TA  - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
PG  - S24--S29
VI  - 73
IP  - 6 suppl 2
4099  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/73/6_suppl_2/S24.short
4100  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/73/6_suppl_2/S24.full
SO  - Cleve Clin J Med2006 Jun 01; 73
AB  - The neurohormone arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a promising target in the treatment of heart failure because AVP promotes congestion and hyponatremia, each of which is associated with poor outcomes. Diuretics are standard therapy for heart failure, but they have several limitations, including worsening renal function and hyponatremia. Blocking AVP leads to effective aquaresis, improvements in hemodynamics and renal function parameters, weight loss, and normalization of serum sodium, without changes in blood pressure or heart rate. In placebo-controlled trials in the inpatient and outpatient setting, the AVP receptor antagonist tolvaptan reduced body weight and edema and normalized serum sodium in patients with heart failure.