Clinical study of the month. The LIFE study: cardiovascular protection of hypertensive patients by losartan

peer reviewedThe LIFE study ("Losartan Intervention For Endpoint reduction in hypertension study") demonstrated a significant cardiovascular protection by an angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan, in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy. At similar blood pressure control, losartan, as compared to atenolol, reduced the relative risk of primary cardiovascular event (death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) by 13% (p = 0.021) in the whole cohort of 9.193 patients after a mean follow-up of 4.7 years. In a subgroup of 1.195 diabetic patients, the protection was even more marked with a reduction of the combined risk of 24% (p = 0.031) and a fall of the mortality of 39% (p = 0.002). In conclusion, losartan prevents cardiovascular morbidity and death more effectively than atenolol, and seems to confer benefits beyond reduction in blood pressure