A New Drug May Be The Key To Lowering Blood Pressure In Those With Chronic Kidney Disease

Some conditions tend to be co-occurring, like elevated blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. High blood pressure can cause damage to kidney blood vessels. As a result, the kidneys aren't able to function normally, which can lead to the development of chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease occurs when the kidneys begin to lose their ability to filter fluids and waste products. In the early stages of the disease, individuals may have few symptoms. Later, they may begin to show signs such as exhaustion, gastrointestinal distress, a change in urination frequency, oedema or edema (swelling of the extremities), and unmanageable high blood pressure.

Once the kidneys become too damaged, they can't be repaired. But it's possible to slow progressive damage with the right combination of lifestyle changes and treatments. However, some patients don't experience any benefits when they try to lower or stabilize their elevated blood pressure. Enter baxdrostat, an emerging medication that's still in the trial phases, but has shown promise in significantly decreasing blood pressure in people at high risk of chronic kidney disease.

Jordana B. Cohen, M.D., M.S.C.E., deputy director and associate professor of medicine and epidemiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, called baxdrostat a "game changer" within its class of aldosterone synthase inhibitors (via American Heart Association). Aldosterone synthase inhibitors interfere with the production of the hormone aldosterone, which is a contributor to elevated blood pressure.

A 2025 study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology investigated what would happen when participants with high blood pressure and elevated albumin (a sign of potential kidney disease risk) took baxdrostat for 26 weeks. Participants who consumed baxdrostat lowered their systolic blood pressure by an average of 8.1 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) more than those who were given a placebo. This is an especially important finding, given that 62% of global chronic kidney disease deaths are associated with high systolic blood pressure.

Baxdrostat does have a side effect, though: It may cause higher than normal potassium levels in some people. High potassium can be life-threatening, and is three times more prevalent in those with chronic kidney disease.