Losartan

Abstract

▴ Losartan is an orally active, selective, nonpeptide, angiotensin II AT₁ receptor antagonist. ▴ Losartan 50 or 100 mg/day was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing the incidence of a doubling of serum creatinine, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or death (43.5% vs 47.1%, p = 0.02) in a pivotal, well designed trial (Reduction of End-points in Non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus with the Angiotensin II Antagonist Losartan [RENAAL] study) in 1513 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and proteinuria. ▴ Losartan also significantly reduced the incidence of doubling of serum creatinine level (p = 0.006), ESRD (p = 0.002), ESRD or death (p = 0.01) and doubling of serum creatinine and ESRD (p = 0.01) compared with placebo in the RENAAL trial. There were similar incidences of overall mortality and morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular causes between treatment groups. ▴ In addition, data from several nonblind end double-blind studies indicates that losartan effectively reduces the mean albumin excretion rate. Two double-blind studies show that losartan has similar effects to enalapril on kidney function. ▴ Data from 4058 patients (3300 with essential hypertension) who have received losartan (10–150 mg/day) in clinical trials indicate it is well tolerated. In the RENAAL study 17.2% and 21.7% of losartan and placebo recipients discontinued treatment because of adverse events, but causality was not determined.