Losartan Potassium blood pressure drug Cozaar
Losartan potassium is a widely used pharmaceutical drug. Losartan potassium) is an angiotensin II receptor (type AT1) antagonist.
Losartan and blood pressure
Losartan works by blocking the action of a
substance that causes blood vessels to constrict. As a result, losartan relaxes
blood vessels thus reducing blood pressure.
Losartan and stroke
Losartan is used to decrease the risk of stroke in patients with high blood
pressure and a condition called left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). LVH is an
enlargement of the left pumping chamber of the heart and can cause problems with
the way the heart pumps blood.
Losartan for diabetic nephropathy
Losartan is used to treat a condition called diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic
nephropathy is a complication of type 2 diabetes which causes the kidneys to not
work properly.
Losartan and muscular dystrophy
In a study in rodents, losartan reduced muscle
damage in mice with the most common form of muscular dystrophy.
A team at Johns Hopkins University found the drug losartan seemed to improve
muscle regeneration in mice with a rare condition known as Marfan syndrome and
in mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy — the most common form in children. Dr.
Valerie Cwik, medical director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association said
losartan is currently used in children and has a good safety profile. In Marfan
mice treated with losartan, the aorta was strengthened, reducing the chance of
an aneurysm in which this major blood vessel bursts.