ReviewAldosterone and angiotensin: Role in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases

The present review shall familiarize the readers with the role of renin-angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS), which regulates blood pressure, electrolyte and fluid homeostasis. The local RAAS operates in an autocrine, paracrine and/or intracrine manner and exhibits multiple physiological effects at the cellular level. In addition to local RAAS, there exists a complete pancreatic RAAS which has multi-facet role in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Aldosterone is known to mediate hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, cardiac failure and myocardial fibrosis while angiotensin II mediates diabetes, endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, hypertrophy and remodeling. As the understanding of this biology of RAAS increases, it serves to exploit this for the pharmacotherapy of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.