Losartan

[cabb]

Hello,

I am hoping to find someone that has taken or at least heard of someone taking losartan. I was suppose to be a part of a study in D.C. for the benefits of losartan for patients that have non-obstructive HCM. I did not make the study because when I was there I had to come off my meds that I usually take (80mg inderal 3x a day, 200 mg norpace 3x day) and after 48 hrs I was immobile and had to be put back on my meds because incredible amount of chest pain. (this was in 97).

This past March I was told that I needed a ICD and they started me on losartan, saying that it should help make my heart more flexible and it should be able to pump more efficiently. I have been taking it but I really don,t like it,(it makes me very light headed for a period of time).

[williamm]

Dear cabb,

I am in a similar study in Brazil and started using Losartan about six months ago. I was on Nadolol before the study and didn't need to stop it or change the daily dose from that med. I've experienced no side effects. This study started in Brazil in 2003 and is still in phase 1. The parameters being monitored are the usual for HCM with special care for: atrial diameter, mitral velocities (E, A) with tissue doppler, BNP. The first published data results were good bettering all the monitored parameters. The study now is evaluating the fibrosis with MRI at six months interval. Obviously the gradient (even drug induced) needs to be carefully monitored because Losartan as any vasodilatators can exacerbate the gradient due the afterload reduction. The study aims to evaluate the role of AT2 blocking because its profibrotic effect is very known. This way, the vasodilatation is not a desired effect and, if not monitored, can be a side effect. Here in Brazil, all the recruited patients were non-obstructive also (lower than 30mmHg resting gradient) and there was no one that worsened their values.

The NHLBI has been concluded in 2003 another study with the same drug but the data still has not been published to my knowledge. The link from it is below:

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00001534

Regards,

William.

[Lisa Salberg]

The study was terminated due to several issues. They never published results. The Internal Review Board -IRB of the NIH-NHLBI held several meetings on this matter and stopped the study due to violations of the standards of conducting research. This is one of the core reasons the HCM program at the NIH was disbanded.

Lisa