Cor Vasa 2010, 52(3):183-186 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2010.046

The effects of losartan on central and peripheral blood pressure

Jiří Widimský jr.^*, Ondřej Petrák, Branislav Štrauch, Alice Vranková, Tomáš Zelinka, Jana Dvořáková, Robert Holaj

Centrum pro hypertenzi, III. interní klinika, Všeobecná fakultní nemocnice a 1. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy, Praha, Česká republika

We evaluated the antihypertensive effects of 100 mg losartan administered once daily for six months in patients with mild essential hypertension. The antihypertensive effects were assessed by measuring office and 24-hour blood pressure (BP), the latter using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Additionally, central BP and aortic stiffness were measured by means of a Sfygmocor device.
Losartan treatment resulted in a significant decrease in office systolic and diastolic BP (134 ± 15 vs. 143 ± 13 mmHg; p < 0.05 and 78 ± 6 vs. 82 ± 8 mmHg; p < 0.04). Ambulatory BP monitoring demonstrated a marked losartan-induced decrease in 24-hour systolic and diastolic BP (126 ± 7 vs. 142 ± 5 mmHg; p < 0.00002 and 76 ± 6 vs. 85 ± 6 mmHg; p < 0.00001). Central (aortic) systolic BP (119 ± 12 vs. 129 ± 13 mmHg; p < 0.01) and diastolic BP (79 ± 8 vs. 82 ± 10; p < 0.03) were also significantly decreased by losartan treatment. Prolonged use of losartan also led to a decrease in aortic stiffness, as determined by pulse wave velocity (PWV) (7.3 ± 1.8 vs. 7.8 ± 1.7 m/s; p < 0.04) and augmentation index (AI) (14 ± 18 vs. 19 ± 14%; p < 0.007). Treatment with losartan at a dose of 100 mg in mild hypertension decreases peripheral as well as central BP and aortic stiffness.

Keywords: Arterial hypertension; Blood pressure; Losartan

Published: March 1, 2010  Show citation