Losartan
CozaarPubChem CID 3961 · 3D model
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Blocks a hormone signal that tightens blood vessels, so vessels relax and blood pressure comes down.
How it works
Losartan blocks the docking site that a blood-pressure-raising hormone normally locks onto, so that hormone can no longer squeeze blood vessels tight or trigger the release of a salt-retaining hormone. Once in the body, it's converted into an even more powerful form that sticks to this docking site strongly and specifically. Unlike an older class of blood pressure drugs, it doesn't interfere with a different enzyme pathway, so it tends to cause less of the dry cough some people get on those medications. The end result is more relaxed blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and less strain on the kidneys' filtering units over time.
What it’s used for
Used to lower high blood pressure in adults and children age 6 and up, to reduce stroke risk in people who have both high blood pressure and an enlarged heart muscle, and to slow kidney damage in people with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and signs of diabetic kidney disease.
- Mechanism
- Angiotensin II receptor (AT1) blocker
- Drug class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- Cardiovascular