[Clinical experience with angiotensin II antagonists in arterial hypertension]

Theoretical considerations and experimental data suggest that AT1-antagonists can offer the same advantages as ACE-inhibitors in the treatment of hypertensive patients without causing side effects such as angioedema and cough. The pharmacokinetic properties of these drugs suggest that AT1-antagonists can be given once-daily. Preliminary data obtained with losartan indicate that this drug, given once daily, significantly reduced blood pressure with a favourable trough to peak ratio. Moreover the hypotensive effect of this drug was similar to that exerted by other hypotensive drugs currently employed in the treatment of hypertensive patients. Losartan can be usefully combined with a thiazide diuretic inducing an additive antihypertensive effect. No negative effect on lipid and glucose profiles was recorded. Furthermore, losartan exerted an uricosuric action, thus reducing serum uric acid. Preliminary data suggest that the incidence of cough in patients treated with losartan was similar to that observed in patients receiving placebo or a thiazide diuretic. Although these data need to be confirmed by ongoing and future studies, it is tempting to hypothesize that this new class of antihypertensive drugs can offer a further useful tool in the treatment of hypertensive patients.