Open AccessThe Losartan Intervention for Endpoint Reduction (LIFE) Trial—Have Angiotensin‐Receptor Blockers Come of Age?
Author(s) -
Sica Domenic A.,
Weber Michael
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
the journal of clinical hypertension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1751-7176
pISSN - 1524-6175
DOI - 10.1111/j.1524-6175.2002.01099.x
Subject(s) - losartan , medicine , atenolol , hydrochlorothiazide , left ventricular hypertrophy , cardiology , clinical endpoint , population , angiotensin ii , randomized controlled trial , blood pressure , environmental health
The Losartan Intervention for Endpoint Reduction trial is one of several end‐point trials that are now available with angiotensin‐receptor blockers. This trial compared two regimens—losartan‐based therapy to atenolol‐based therapy—in 9193 hypertensive patients with electrocardiographic evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy. In the instance of each of these therapeutic groups, hydrochlorothiazide add‐on therapy was permitted as per protocol. Although blood pressures were comparably reduced in both the losartan and the atenolol‐based treatment groups, stroke rate was notably less in the losartan‐treatment group. The 1195 patient diabetic cohort in this trial also experienced a substantial reduction in total and cardiovascular mortality favoring losartan. An additional finding in this trial was that new‐onset diabetes developed 25% less frequently in the losartan‐treated group. The results of this trial are both interesting and relevant to what is an expanding use of angiotensin‐receptor blockers in the hypertensive population.