A new blood pressure medication, irbesartan, has been shown to protect against kidney disease in people who have high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, according to research recently reported to the American Society of Hypertension. It is estimated that as many as 40 to 50% of people with type 2 diabetes will develop kidney disease.

In a clinical study of more than 1700 such patients, the drug reduced the loss of kidney function and the progression of kidney disease to dialysis or transplantation by 30 percent compared to placebo. In study patients who already had kidney disease, irbesartan was more effective than the calcium channel blocker amlodipine in slowing the progression to end-stage renal disease.

According to the lead researcher at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center, the drug is an excellent blood pressure drug and also protects the kidneys from damage, delaying or preventing the need for dialysis or transplantation.

The drug is a member of a class of blood pressure lowering medications known as angiotensin II receptor blockers.

Related information Complications: Heart | Kidney