BP Drug Helps Kidney Function

The drug Benicar (olmesartan) appeared to reduce blood pressure inpatients with type 2 diabetes as well as to improve kidney perfusion. Thestudy, reported in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (February2005), involved 35 patients with the disease. The researchers lookedat the effect of 12 weeks of treatment with olmesartan. The findings showeda significant drop in blood pressure in the olmesartan group, compared withlittle change in the placebo group.

The blood pressure medication also enhanced blood flow through the kidneys.Reporting on the findings, the researchers said that particular biomarkersin the patients treated with the drug suggested that ongoing treatmentmay prevent kidney damage not only by direct blood-flow effects butalso by decreasing inflammation.