The relationship of the effects of losartan on left ventricular mass and endothelial function in essential hypertensive patients

Objectives To investigate the relationship of the effects of antihypertensive management with losartan for 12 weeks on left ventricular mass and endothelial function. Methods Forty six patients with hypertension were treated with losartan (50 mg, 50 mg+indapamide 2 5 mg/daily, according to the levels of blood pressure) for 12 weeks. All patients underwent following examinations: echocardiography, ultrasonographic examination of endothelium dependent flow mediated vascular dilation, serum endothelin before and after the treatment. Results After 12 week treatment, losartan could significantly reduce systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean blood pressure, pulse blood pressure, serum endothelin concentration and left ventricular mass index ( P 0 01). There was significant difference in responsive congestion to brachial artery before and after treatment of losartan ( P 0 001). There was no significant difference in baseline and response to nitroglyerin and the increasing of reactive hypertemia flow ( P 0 05). Multiple regression analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between the change of LVMI and FMD (β=-0 1482, P 0 05). The change of LVMI was positively correlated with the change of systolic blood pressure (β=0 443, P 0 001) and the level of serum endothelin(β=0 38, P 0 01). Conclusions Hypertension management with losartan may improve endothelium function and reverse left ventricular remodeling, and it may be the cause that losartan improve the prognosis of hypertensive patients with or without left ventricular hypertrophy.