Hammer F, et al. - In this placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial, researchers assessed the impact of spironolactone on left ventricular mass (LVM), an independent predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, in hemodialysis patients. Study participants included 97 hemodialysis patients who were randomized to spironolactone 50 mg once daily (n=50) or placebo (n=47). In participants randomized to spironolactone vs placebo, no significant change was noted in LVM index (LVMi). In addition, no difference was observed in the secondary outcomes of mean 24-hour systolic or diastolic ambulatory blood pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction, 6-minute walk test distance, or New York Heart Association functional class. In hemodialysis patients, treatment with 50 mg spironolactone did not change left ventricular mass index, cardiac function, or blood pressure. Investigators observed that spironolactone did not increase the frequency of severe hyperkalemia, but rather increased moderate hyperkalemia.