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Angiotensin receptor blockers in heart failure

Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

John JV McMurray

University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, j.mcmurray{at}bio.gla.ac.uk

Collectively, a series of large, prospective randomised outcome trials has now shown that angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are of clinical value in a broad spectrum of patients with symptomatic heart failure, regardless of background therapy and ventricular function. There is a clear benefit of ARBs in patients unable to tolerate an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and this benefit is of a similar magnitude to that obtained with an ACE inhibitor (ACE-I). Both Val-HeFT and, particularly, CHARM-Added, also show that symptoms, morbidity and mortality are further reduced if an ARB is added to an ACE-I. This benefit is not only statistically significant but clinically important. CHARM-Preserved showed that candesartan can reduce hospital admission for heart failure in patients with preserved systolic function though more definitive outcome data are needed in this group.

Key Words: heart failure • angiotensin • receptor antagonist • enzyme inhibitor • clinical trial

References

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Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System, Vol. 4, No. 3, 171-175 (2003)
DOI: 10.3317/jraas.2003.027


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Östergren, J. Articles by McMurray, J. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Östergren, J. Articles by McMurray, J. J. Pubmed/NCBI databases Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH Medline Plus Health Information Blood Pressure Medicines Heart Failure Social Bookmarking                         What's this?