Statins in Proteinuric Nephropathies

End stage renal disease (ESRD) is rapidly growing worldwide. Patients with ESRD have increased morbidity and mortality mostly because of a dramatic excess of cardiovascular disease. Thus, preventing or limiting the progression of chronic nephropathies, in addition to limit the incidence of ESRD, may also postpone death. Drugs that inhibit the renin angiotensin system, such as Angiotensin-Converting-Enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and Angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ATA), are reno- and cardio-protective in the long-term. There are data that statins,in addition to limit cardiovascular events may have specific reno-protective properties. Thus we designed a study aimed to evaluate whether statins associated to ACEi and ATA may have an additional reno-protective effect. ESPLANADE is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, parallel group study in which, after 2 months treatment with ACEi and ATA, two groups of 90 patients, with or without type 2 diabetes, are randomized to 6 months Fluvastatin (40 or 80 mg/day) treatment YES or NO.Twenty Italian Nephrology Units are involved in the trial. The study is fully coordinated by the Clinical Research Center for Rare Disease Aldo e Cele Daccò, Villa Camozzi, Ranica.