Clinical efficacy and safety of spironolactone in patients with resistant hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize all available evidence from randomized controlled trial studies regarding the clinical efficacy and safety of spironolactone in patients with resistant hypertension (RH) and provided a quantitative assessment. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases through December 8, 2019, was performed. Randomized controlled trials randomized controlled trials meeting inclusion criteria were included to assess the effect of the addition of spironolactone on office blood pressure (BP), 24-hour ambulatory BP or adverse events in RH patients. RESULTS: Twelve trials, which enrolled a total of 1655 patients, were included in this meta-analysis. In comparison with placebo, spironolactone significantly reduced office BP (office SBP, weighted mean difference [WMD] = −20.14, 95% CI = −31.17 to −9.12, P < .001; office DBP WMD = −5.73, 95% CI = −8.13 to −3.33, P < .001) and 24-hour ambulatory BP (ASBP, WMD = −10.31, 95% CI = −12.86 to −7.76, P < .001; ADBP, WMD = −3.94, 95% CI = −5.50 to −2.37, P < .001). Compared with alternative drugs, spironolactone treatment in RH patients significantly decreased 24-hour ambulatory BP (ASBP, WMD = −6.98, 95% CI = −12.66 to −1.30, P < .05; ADBP, WMD = −3.03, 95% CI = −5.21 to −0.85, P < .001). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis fully evaluated the antihypertensive effect of spironolactone compared with placebo, alternative drugs, renal nerve denervation and no treatment. Spironolactone can result in a substantial BP reduction in patients with RH at 3 months.