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Losartan and Longevity: Can a Common Blood Pressure Drug Turn Back the Aging Clock?

There is a widely prescribed drug, found in millions of medicine cabinets, primarily used to treat high blood pressure. This drug, losartan, is inexpensive, well-characterized, and has been safely used for decades. However, emerging evidence suggests that its biological impact may extend far beyond cardiovascular regulation. Recent research indicates that losartan may partially reverse molecular signatures associated with aging.

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 Losartan Side Effects You Shouldn’t Ignore—Plus One That May Actually Help

If you or someone you love takes medication to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), chances are you've heard of losartan. It's one of the most commonly prescribed blood pressure medications in America—and for good reason. But what exactly does Losartan do, why do doctors recommend it so often and what are its potential side effects?

Articles of Interest

Discovery of losartan, the first angiotensin II receptor antagonist

The 'discovery' of losartan represents three separate discoveries: losartan as the unique biphenyltetrazole molecule and the first of a new chemical class; losartan as a tool to identify AT1-subtype receptors; and losartan as a specific probe for exploring the multiple roles of angiotensin II (Ang II) in normal physiology and pathologic states. Losartan is the first nonpeptide orally active Ang II receptor antagonist to reach clinical trials.

Fifteen years of LIFE (Losartan Intervention for Endpoint Reduction in Hypertension)—Lessons learned for losartan: An “old dog playing good tricks”

There is an unmet need to prevent cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease development and progression worldwide. Losartan, the first angiotensin receptor blocker, was shown to exert significant cardioprotective and renoprotective effects in the LIFE (Losartan Intervention for Endpoint Reduction in Hypertension) and RENAAL (Reduction of Endpoints in NIDDM With the Angiotensin II Antagonist Losartan) trials.

How the antihypertensive losartan was discovered

Based on interviews and publications, this case study is a history of how DuPont scientists discovered losartan, the first angiotensin II receptor antagonist. Essential aspects of the story include: i) the discovery occurred at a young and inexperienced pharmaceutical business...

Losartan Does More Than Lower Blood Pressure

Even with successful reduction of blood pressure, hypertensive patients have significantly increased rates of cardiovascular disease. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is believed to be the crucial factor in this continued risk of morbidity and mortality and, in theory, blockage of angiotensin II could reverse LVH. Angiotensin II blocking drugs such as losartan could therefore have direct cardioprotective effects

Losartan Patient Tips

Losartan works by blocking the effect of angiotensin II, a hormone that causes blood vessels to narrow (constrict) increasing blood pressure. Blocking angiotensin II widens (dilates) blood vessels which lowers blood pressure and it also increases the excretion of certain salts from the kidney.

Losartan: A Comprehensive Pharmacology Review for Clinicians and Students

Losartan is more than a blood‑pressure‑lowering agent; it is a linchpin in the management of hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, and heart failure. In 2023, the American Heart Association reported that one in five adults with chronic kidney disease remains on an angiotensin receptor blocker, underscoring the drug’s clinical ubiquity.

What is Losartan (Cozaar)?

Losartan, commonly known by its brand name Cozaar, is a medication primarily used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and to reduce the risk of stroke in certain patients. It belongs to a class of drugs known as angiotensin II receptor antagonists, which help to relax blood vessels and improve blood flow.

Resources

Molecule of the Week

Losartan is a drug used to treat high blood pressure. Its synthesis was patented by DuPont scientists in 1992, but it was not until DuPont collaborated with Merck and FDA approval was obtained that it was marketed in 1995 under the Merck trade name Cozaar. It has been a generic drug since 2009. Like many hypertension treatments, losartan is an angiotensin II type 1 antagonist. It has also shown promise for treating diabetic nephropathy and reducing the progression of renal disease in type 2 diabetics.

StatPearls

Losartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of several medical conditions, including hypertension and diabetic nephropathy. Losartan inhibits angiotensin II–induced vasopressin release, adrenal catecholamine release, rapid and slow pressor responses, thirst, cellular hypertrophy and hyperplasia, noradrenergic neurotransmission, and sympathetic tone increase.