Drug Evaluations Cardiovascular & Renal: Biology of angiotensin II receptor inhibition with a focus on losartan: A new drug for the treatment of hypertension

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Abstract
Pharmacological blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors has advanced knowledge of the mechanisms by which blood pressure is regulated as well as provided new approaches to the treatment of essential hypertension and congestive heart failure. Although the idea that primary or essential hypertension may be caused by an increase in the activity of the renin-angiotensin system was originally proposed by Page in 1967 in his mosaic theory of arterial hypertension, the identification of molecular variants in the genes that encode the components of the renin-angiotensin system now begins to substantiate a role for this hormonal system in the causation of hypertension. The cumulative results of basic investigations and clinical research culminated with the introduction of a new class of orally active antihypertensive drugs which specifically target angiotensin (Ang) II receptors as a means to control blood pressure. Emerging results from the clinical...