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The effect of losartan compared with atenolol on the incidence of revascularization in patients with hypertension and electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy. The LIFE study

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 20, pages 460–464 (2006)Cite this article

In the Losartan Intervention For End point reduction in hypertension (LIFE) study losartan- compared to atenolol-based antihypertensive treatment showed a tendency towards reducing peripheral revascularization (4.4 vs 57, P =0.07). This benefit was significant in the patients without peripheral vascular disease or without albuminuria at baseline (both P <0.01), suggesting that losartan may be particularly effective in preventing vascular damage in patients without preexisting vascular damage.

In the LIFE study, the rate of myocardial infarction did not significantly differ between the treatment groups when losartan- compared with atenolol-based treatment was administered to patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) for a mean of 4.8 years.1 On the other hand, in a subgroup of patients in the LIFE study, losartan-based, but not atenolol-based antihypertensive treatment, reduced carotid artery hypertrophy.2 Furthermore, angiotensin II has experimentally been associated with development of atherosclerosis,3 and blockage of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system may reduce atherosclerosis.4 In the present analysis, we aimed to identify risk predictors for coronary and peripheral revascularizations in this large study and to investigate the effect of losartan-based compared with atenolol-based antihypertensive treatment on the incidences of coronary and peripheral revascularizations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Glostrup University Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark

    M H Olsen, K Wachtell & H Ibsen

  2. Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Göteborg, Sweden

    B Dahlöf

  3. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA

    R B Devereux

  4. Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    S E Kjeldsen

  5. Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    L H Lindholm

  6. Merck Research Laboratories, Horsham, PA, USA

    P A Lyle

  7. Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    M S Nieminen

Authors
  1. M H Olsen
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  2. K Wachtell
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  3. B Dahlöf
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  4. R B Devereux
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  6. S E Kjeldsen
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  7. L H Lindholm
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  8. P A Lyle
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  9. M S Nieminen
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Correspondence to M H Olsen.

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Olsen, M., Wachtell, K., Dahlöf, B. et al. The effect of losartan compared with atenolol on the incidence of revascularization in patients with hypertension and electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy. The LIFE study. J Hum Hypertens 20, 460–464 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002013

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