Administration of losartan improves aortic arterial stiffness and reduces the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome in aged patients with essential hypertension

BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS: Increased arterial stiffness may increase cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker losartan is potentially useful in controlling the central blood pressure and arterial stiffness in mild to moderate essential hypertension, while the effects of losartan in aged patients with essential hypertension are not entirely investigated. METHODS: The carotid-femoral arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured in aged patients with essential hypertension. RESULTS: In a cross-sectional study, PWV value was significantly higher in these old patients with essential hypertension, compared with patients without essential hypertension. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age, hypertension duration, and losartan treatment are risk factors of arterial stiffness. In a perspective study, long-term administration of losartan (50 mg/d) remarkably reduced PWV in aged patients with essential hypertension. In a longitudinal study, PWV is an independent predictor of the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in elderly patients with essential hypertension by using multivariate analysis. Further, the ACS occurrence was reduced by long-term administration of losartan in aged patients with essential hypertension, compared with the old hypertensive patients without taking losartan. CONCLUSION: Losartan treatment is a negative risk factor of arterial stiffness and reduces the risk of ACS in aged patients with essential hypertension.