Valsartan: new preparation. Just a second-line antihypertensive drug

(1) Valsartan is a antihypertensive drug belonging to the family of angiotensin II receptor antagonists. (2) At a dose of 40 mg/day its antihypertensive effect is inconsistent. (3) At 80 mg/day its effect on blood pressure, its adverse effects and its contraindications (mainly pregnancy and renal artery stenosis) are similar to those of angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, except that coughing is rarer with valsartan than with ACE inhibitors. (4) Valsartan has no demonstrated advantage over losartan, another angiotensin II antagonist. (5) Valsartan has not been shown to prevent the complications of arterial hypertension, and its use is therefore less well validated than that of diuretics and betablockers.