The evidence from this review suggests that there are no clinically meaningful BP lowering differences between available ARBs. The BP lowering effect of ARBs is modest and similar to ACE inhibitors as a class; the magnitude of average trough BP lowering for ARBs at maximum recommended doses and above is -8/-5 mmHg. Furthermore, 60 to 70% of this trough BP lowering effect occurs with recommended starting doses. The review did not provide a good estimate of the incidence of harms associated with ARBs because of the short duration of the trials and the lack of reporting of adverse effects in many of the trials.

There are no clinically meaningful BP lowering differences between different ACE inhibitors. The BP lowering effect of ACE inhibitors is modest; the magnitude of trough BP lowering at one-half the manufacturers' maximum recommended dose and above is -8/-5 mm Hg. Furthermore, 60 to 70% of this trough BP lowering effect occurs with recommended starting doses. The review did not provide a good estimate of the incidence of harms associated with ACE inhibitors because of the short duration of the trials and the lack of reporting of adverse effects in many of the trials.

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Background and Objectives: The pathogenesis of anemia in hemodialysis (HD) patients is dependent on multiple factors, with decreased red blood cell life span (RBCLS) being a significant contributor. Although the impact of reduced RBCLS on anemia is recognized, it is still a subject that is not well researched. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between RBCLS and inflammatory biomarkers in chronic HD patients. Design, Setting, Participants, and Measurements: RBCLS was calculated from alveolar carbon monoxide concentrations measured by gas chromatography. Interleukins (IL) IL-6, IL-18, IL-10, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein were measured using bead-based multiplex assay. Measurements were carried out at baseline and during follow-up. The associations between RBCLS and inflammatory biomarkers were evaluated using linear mixed effects models. Results: RBCLS measurements were available for 54 HD patients. Their average age was 58.5 ± 14.4 years, 68.5% were males, 48.1% were diabetics, and the HD vintage was 51 ± 48 months. In 4 patients, RBCLS was measured once, while in 50 patients, up to 5 repeated RBCLS measurements were available. RBCLS was 73.2 ± 17.8 days (range 37.7-115.8 days). No association was found between RBCLS and any of the inflammatory biomarkers. Of note, RBCLS was positively correlated with levels of uric acid (p = 0.02) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN; p = 0.01), respectively. Conclusion: Our study suggests that inflammation pathways reported by these biomarkers only have a limited role in causing premature RBC death. The positive correlation with uric acid and BUN warrants further studies.

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The purpose of this review was to systematically identify, summarize, and critically appraise studies on dietary salt relating to health outcomes that were published from August to November 2015. The search strategy was adapted from a previous systematic review on dietary salt and health. Overall, 15 studies were included in the review: one study assessed cardiovascular events, five studies assessed blood pressure or hypertension incidence, six studies assessed surrogate outcomes for cardiovascular or kidney diseases, and three studies assessed other outcomes (age-related cataracts, rheumatoid arthritis, and bone mineral density, respectively). Four studies were selected for detailed appraisal and commentary. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich).

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