News - Hypertension Week of August 24, 2003/ Vol. 2 No. 34

Study: Losartan Cuts Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death for Diabetics With Hypertension

The blood pressure drug losartan reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death in patients who have high blood pressure, diabetes and an enlarged left ventricle.

Losartan is an angeotensin 2 receptor blocker and is sold under the brand name of Cozaar

As reported in the Aug. 22 issue of the Lancet, researchers studied 1,195 patients with these three conditions and found that only 14 sudden cardiac deaths occurred among those using losartan compared to 30 among participants using the beta-blocker atenolol.

"The reduction in sudden cardiac death with losartan was only evident for diabetic patients," said lead researcher Lars Hjalmar Lindholm of Umea University in Sweden. "These results are, however, exploratory, and require confirmation."

In an accompanying editorial, Wilbert S Aronow of Westchester Medical Center and New York Medical College , said a large double-blind randomized trial is need to investigate whether losartan is better, similar or worse than all beta blockers in reducing sudden cardiac death and coronary events."

Other sources: Lancet