ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Vasopressin receptor antagonist

Okay kiddo, have you heard of vasopressin? It’s a hormone in our body that helps control how much water we pee out. But sometimes, people have a problem with too much vasopressin in their body. This can lead to something called hyponatremia, which is when there’s not enough salt in the blood.

A vasopressin receptor antagonist (VRA) is a special kind of medicine that helps to block the effects of vasopressin in the body. This means that less water is reabsorbed into the kidneys, so more pee is made and the salt levels in the blood can stay balanced.

VRA medicines are used to treat hyponatremia caused by things like heart failure, liver cirrhosis, or certain medicines that can mess with the body’s electrolyte balance. They can also be used to treat something called SIADH, which is a condition where the body makes too much vasopressin.

So, basically, a VRA medicine helps to balance the levels of water and salt in the body by blocking the effects of a hormone called vasopressin.