ANGIOTENSIN-II RECEPTOR BLOCKERS - A NEW CLASS OF ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

Angiotensin II (AII) receptor antagonists, a new class of antihyperten sive agents, recently became available for the treatment of clinical h ypertension, These agents have a unique mechanism of action: they sele ctively block the AII receptor type 1 thereby blocking all known physi ological actions of AII that are relevant to hypertension, Controlled clinical trials have shown losartan potassium, the first of the AII re ceptor type 1 antagonists approved for clinical use, to be effective, providing long-term control of blood pressure in once daily oral doses in patients who have mild to moderate essential hypertension. Losarta n is as efficacious as enalapril maleate and atenolol in these patient s. Its antihypertensive effect is enhanced when used in combination wi th a thiazide diuretic, Losartan is well tolerated and generally free of the side effects that are commonly associated with angiotensin conv erting enzyme inhibitors and other currently available antihypertensiv e drugs. Thus, AII receptor blockers represent an important therapeuti c advance in treating hypertension and provide a targeted treatment ap proach to block activation of the renin-angiotensin system.