Among antihypertensives, most commonly used angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) such as captopril, enalapril, lisinopril, and benazepril are at least partially removed by hemodialysis; ramipril and fosinopril are not appreciably removed.1,2
In contrast, none of the commonly used angiotensin receptor blockers such as losartan, valsartan, and irbesartan are removed by hemodialysis.
Among β-blockers and combined α- and β-blockers, atenolol and metoprolol are removed by hemodialysis while carvedilol, bisoprolol, propranolol and labetalol are not.
Many other antihypertensives such as calcium channel blockers, α-blockers, clonidine, and hydralazine are not appreciably removed by hemodialysis, while isosorbide dinitrate appears to be.
Of interest, a 2015 retrospective cohort study found that initiation of high- dialyzability β-blockers (atenolol, acebutolol, or metoprolol) was associated with a higher risk of death in the following 180 days compared to that of low-dialyzability β-blockers (bisoprolol or propranolol), suggesting that perhaps we should be more selective in our choice of β-blockers in this patient population.2 In contrast, no significant difference in all-cause mortality was noted among older patients receiving ACE-Is with high vs low dialyzability potential.3
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References
- Inrig JK, Antihypertensive agents in hemodialysis patients: A current perspective. Semin dial 2010;23:290-7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3061334/pdf/nihms206964.pdf
- β-Blocker dialyzability and mortality in older patients receiving hemodialysis. J Am Soc Nephrol 2015;26:987-96. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25359874
- Weir MA, Fleet JL, Dixon SN, et al. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor dialyzability and outcomes in older patients receiving hemodialysis. Blood Purif 2015;40:232-42. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26382240
Contributed in part by Andrew Lundquist, MD, PhD, Mass General Hospital, Boston, MA.
