Long-Term Potential of Angiotensin Receptor Blockade for Cardiovascular Protection in Hypertension: The VALUE Trial

The recent decrease of cardiovascular mortality in the USA is less pronounced than it has been in the preceding three decades. Elsewhere, cardiovascular mortality decreased and in some countries it increased. Cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease were responsible for 21% of deaths recorded by the World Health Organization in 1990 and 1997, of which hypertension was estimated to be directly responsible for half of these deaths. Apart from blood pressure (BP) elevation, essential hypertension is frequently associated with factors that increase the risk of poor cardiovascular outcomes: insulin resistance/dyslipidemia, elevated angiotensin and norepinephrine, a tendency for hypercoagulability, platelet overactivity, tachycardia, vulnerability to arrhythmias, vascular hypertrophy, endothelial dysfunction, and left ventricular hypertrophy. Excess activation of the renin-angiotensin system, independent of BP elevation, contributes to these abnormalities. To achieve better results in the future, focus must be shifted from BP lowering to recognition of specific effects of drugs on these diverse pathophysiologic aspects of hypertension. The Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-term Use Evaluation (VALUE) trial, which is evaluating the effect of valsartan (Diovan((R))) vs. amlodipine, is a milestone in the effort to test whether newer compounds offer a better reduction of the cardiovascular consequences of hypertension, as well as good BP control. The hypothesis is that valsartan by antagonizing the negative effects of angiotensin on smooth muscle cell growth, endothelial function, sympathetic overactivity, and coagulation, may have for the same degree of BP lowering, better protective effects than the leading calcium antagonist amlodipine.