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Losartan

  • Prescription medicine
  • Prescription only
  • Identity checked
  • Sources last checked 2026-09-04

This page shows what was measured, who it was measured in, and what that does not settle.

What Losartan does in the body

Losartan sits in that docking site and blocks it.

The hormone that tightens your blood vessels has to dock into a receptor on the muscle cell to do anything. Your liver then converts most of the drug into a second, much stronger molecule that grips the same site so tightly the hormone effectively cannot displace it. Vessels relax, salt retention falls, and blood pressure comes down.

Why people take it. High blood pressure, thickened heart muscle, and kidney damage from type 2 diabetes

What happened in people

508 primary composite events against 588 on atenolol in 9,193 patients at essentially identical blood pressure

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The recorded finding that sits closest to something a person would notice. Written into the record, not signed off, and it carries no population or interval.

The limit that matters most

The class is now used mainly where an ACE inhibitor was not tolerated, which is precisely the difference the tolerability data in ELITE II and OPTIMAAL measured

Where it acts
AT1 receptors on vascular smooth muscle, adrenal zona glomerulosa and renal glomerular arterioles
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
Supervision
Professional supervision is normally required. A regulator classifies this substance in a way that restricts how it is supplied.

What the registries record it as

  • Its recorded molecular formula is C22H22ClKN6O, weighing 461.01.

    US prescribing information · be2432ba-2118-418a-addf-56db9b6c39d2 · read 2026-08-30

Where each sentence above came from

A person wrote this explanation into the record, with the studies named in the path below.

The recorded use, written for a reader without medical training. Not signed off.

A limit recorded against this substance. Not signed off as a reviewed claim.

The four opening statements run to 96 words.

Words this page uses

Four words worth knowing first

Chosen from what this page shows, with each one explained before the word it depends on.

Stand-in result

A stand-in result is a number measured because the real result takes too long.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

It is like judging a journey by the speedometer rather than by arriving.

Where that stops being true. Speed does predict arrival. Many stand-in results do not predict the real one.

What people get wrong. A stand-in result is often reported as the result itself.

A surrogate endpoint substituted for a clinical endpoint, valid only where the substitution has been shown to hold.

Randomisation

Randomisation means chance decides who gets which treatment.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

It is like a coin toss deciding the groups.

Where that stops being true. A coin toss is fair once. Fairness here comes from doing it for everyone.

What people get wrong. It is thought to make groups identical. It makes them similar on average, including on things nobody measured.

Allocation of participants to arms by a chance process, so that unmeasured factors are balanced in expectation.

Confidence interval

A confidence interval is the range the true answer is likely to sit in.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

It is like a weather forecast giving a range rather than one number.

Where that stops being true. A forecast range covers tomorrow. This one covers what the study could resolve.

What people get wrong. The middle number is read as the answer. A range crossing zero means no change is still possible.

An interval estimate that would contain the true parameter in a stated proportion of repeated studies.

Pathway

A pathway is a chain of steps inside a cell, each one setting off the next.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A pathway is like a row of dominoes.

Where that stops being true. Dominoes fall one way. Pathways loop back and can switch themselves off.

What people get wrong. Changing one step is read as changing the outcome. Other steps often absorb it.

An ordered series of molecular interactions producing a defined cellular change.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What was measured, goal by goal

One row for each goal a registered study measured something for. One column for each kind of thing that could be measured.

Registered studies list 40 outcome measures that RNAWiki could read. A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. 0 of the matched studies tested this substance, and 0 posted a result.

There is no single score. A strong test result and a weak life result are different facts.

Goals down the side, kinds of measurement across the top. Each cell says what kind of thing was registered, not what was found.
GoalLife outcomeWhat a body can doHow a person feelsA test resultA step in the bodyHarmsHow longWho was studied
Blood sugarNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a symptom measure for this goal.Only a number moved3 registered test measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
EnduranceNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Waiting for a reviewer1 registered performance measure of this kind.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a symptom measure for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a test result for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
Which registered measures put each goal on this table
Blood sugar
gfr hba1c and the adiponectin concentration; insulin resistance; insulin sensitivity
Endurance
six minute walk distance in meters

Sorted by fixed word lists, version v1. A name the rules do not recognise stays unsorted rather than moving to the nearest column.

What each mark on this table means
Nothing in the sources checked
No registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.
Only a number moved
3 registered test measure.
Not recorded
Harms were not a registered measure for this goal.
Waiting for a reviewer
Who was studied is listed further down the page.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What happened in people

Each card is one study: the exact question it asked, who was in it, and whether it showed what it set out to show.

Composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke, losartan versus atenolol

The study showed what it set out to show

Who was studied
LIFE
How many people
9193
Study design
Randomised double-masked active-controlled trial, at least 4 years
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
Living longer, or avoiding a major event
What was found
RR 0.87 (95% CI 0.77-0.98), P = 0.021
Repeated elsewhere
Partially Replicated

What this does not prove. Meeting one endpoint in one population does not carry to other goals or other people.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. Myocardial infarction was numerically higher on losartan (RR 1.07, p=0.491) and cardiovascular death was not significantly reduced (RR 0.89, p=0.206). The composite was carried by stroke.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral tablet, and fixed combinations with hydrochlorothiazide

Interval reported. 95% CI 0

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

Composite of doubling of serum creatinine, end-stage renal disease or death in type 2 diabetic nephropathy

The study showed what it set out to show

Who was studied
RENAAL
How many people
1513
Study design
Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial, mean 3.4 years
Compared against
A dummy treatment
Kind of result
Living longer, or avoiding a major event
What was found
16% risk reduction, P = 0.02
Repeated elsewhere
Replicated

What this does not prove. Meeting one endpoint in one population does not carry to other goals or other people.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No effect on the rate of death, and no difference in the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality composite. The renal components carried the result.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral tablet, and fixed combinations with hydrochlorothiazide

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

All-cause mortality, losartan versus captopril, in elderly heart failure

The study did not show it

Who was studied
ELITE II
How many people
3152
Study design
Randomised double-blind active-controlled trial, median 555 days
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
Living longer, or avoiding a major event
What was found
HR 1.13 (95.7% CI 0.95-1.35), P = 0.16 — numerically favouring captopril
Repeated elsewhere
Failed to Replicate

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. Sudden death or resuscitated arrest was also numerically higher on losartan (HR 1.25, p=0.08). Losartan was clearly better tolerated (9.7% against 14.7% discontinuation).

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral tablet, and fixed combinations with hydrochlorothiazide

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

All-cause mortality after high-risk acute myocardial infarction

The study did not show it

Who was studied
OPTIMAAL
How many people
5477
Study design
Randomised double-blind active-controlled trial, mean 2.7 years
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
Living longer, or avoiding a major event
What was found
RR 1.13 (95% CI 0.99-1.28), P = 0.07 — numerically favouring captopril
Repeated elsewhere
Failed to Replicate

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. The trial was designed to test superiority or non-inferiority and delivered neither; the authors concluded losartan cannot be generally recommended in this population.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral tablet, and fixed combinations with hydrochlorothiazide

Interval reported. 95% CI 0

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

What we know
RNAWiki holds 4 written-up human studies for this substance, each with the question it asked.
How we know it
Each card names the study, the number of people and what the study set out to measure.
What this does not prove
These summaries were written by a person and have not been signed off as reviewed claims.
Why it matters
A study that failed is as informative as one that worked, and both are here.
What we still do not know
No reviewed claim exists, so no exact population, effect size or interval is published yet.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How close this is to real life

The top step is something a person would feel or care about. The bottom is a guess from software. Filled steps are where evidence exists for this substance.

  1. Living longer, or avoiding a major event Evidence recorded. Death, a heart attack, a stroke, a hospital stay.2 registered measures of this kind. No reviewed result.
  2. What a body can do day to day Evidence recorded. Walking, dressing, breathing, recovering.1 registered measure of this kind.
  3. Measured performance Evidence recorded. How much was lifted, how far was run, how fast.1 registered measure of this kind.
  4. Symptoms and quality of life No evidence recorded. Pain, tiredness, mood, sleep, as the person rated it.No registered study measures this.
  5. A number that stands in for health Evidence recorded. Cholesterol, blood sugar, bone density. A stand-in, not the thing itself.12 registered measures of this kind.
  6. A step measured inside a person Evidence recorded. Something measured in human tissue or human cells.1 registered measure inside human tissue.
  7. Animals Evidence recorded. Mice, rats, dogs. Useful for ideas, not proof about people.Stored records in Mouse, Rat. A result in animals says what to test next. It does not say what happens in people.
  8. Cells in a dish Evidence recorded. Cells or chemistry on a bench, far from a whole body.Stored mechanism abstracts describe steps measured in cells or tissue.
  9. A guess from software No evidence recorded. Nobody measured it. RNAWiki never publishes one as a finding.RNAWiki stores no prediction for this record. Software can suggest a link. RNAWiki does not publish one as a finding.

Higher on these steps means closer to something a person would feel. It does not mean better done.

What it changes in the bodyRead from sources, not yet reviewed

The path through the body

From what a person takes to what changes. A solid line is a step measured in people. A dashed line is a step nobody has measured that way.

Where a source records it acting

  • Blood and vessels: Blocks the vasoconstrictor effects of angiotensin II by selectively blocking its binding to the AT1 receptor found in vascular smooth muscle

    US prescribing information · 021cd76a-b093-4704-8410-5e7d01e20a54 · read 2026-08-27

  • Adrenal glands: Blocks the aldosterone-secreting effects of angiotensin II at the AT1 receptor found in the adrenal gland

    US prescribing information · 021cd76a-b093-4704-8410-5e7d01e20a54 · read 2026-08-27

  1. Start

    Losartan

    What a person takes: Oral tablet, and fixed combinations with hydrochlorothiazide.

    The measurement behind this step

    Once or twice daily. Bioavailability is about a third because of first-pass metabolism, and the duration of effect comes from the active metabolite rather than the parent, so the plasma half-life of losartan itself understates how long the drug works.

  2. Getting in

    Swallowed, and then mostly turned into something stronger

    The tablet is absorbed well, but the liver converts about one part in seven of it into a different molecule that is far more powerful and lasts much longer. Most of what you feel is from the conversion product, not the tablet.

    Measured in people. Written by a person from the study named beside the step. Not signed off as a reviewed claim.

    The measurement behind this step

    Oral bioavailability is about 33% because of extensive first-pass metabolism. Roughly 14% of an absorbed dose is oxidised, principally by CYP2C9, to the carboxylic acid metabolite EXP3174. Losartan has a plasma half-life around 2 hours; EXP3174 around 6 to 9 hours, and it is 10 to 40 times more potent at the receptor.

  3. Reaching the cell

    It reaches receptors on the outside of vessel and adrenal cells

    The target sits on the outer surface of cells in artery walls, in the adrenal gland and in the kidney. Nothing has to get inside a cell for the drug to work.

    Described, with no measurement named. No measurement is named for this step, so it is drawn as an unconfirmed link.

    The measurement behind this step

    AT1 is a class A G-protein-coupled receptor with an extracellular-facing orthosteric pocket, expressed on vascular smooth muscle, adrenal zona glomerulosa, renal proximal tubule and glomerular arterioles, and in cardiac tissue. Its AT2 counterpart, which losartan does not block, is largely unopposed as a result — the pharmacological difference between blocking the receptor and blocking the enzyme.

  4. What it acts on

    The tetrazole ring anchors it in the hormone's docking pocket

    A ring of nitrogen atoms in the drug mimics the acidic end of the natural hormone closely enough to occupy the same slot, and once the liver has modified the molecule it holds on hard enough that the hormone cannot push it out.

    Described, with no measurement named. No measurement is named for this step, so it is drawn as an unconfirmed link.

    The measurement behind this step

    The tetrazole is a carboxylate bioisostere with similar acidity and a larger, more lipophilic footprint, which is what gave this scaffold oral activity where earlier peptide antagonists had none. Losartan itself is a surmountable competitive antagonist; EXP3174 is insurmountable, depressing the maximal angiotensin II response rather than merely shifting the curve.

  5. The change it makes

    Downstream signalling stops, and the enzyme is left alone

    With the receptor blocked, the squeeze signal and the salt-retention signal both stop. Because the enzyme itself is untouched, the molecule that causes the ACE inhibitor cough is still cleared normally.

    Described, with no measurement named. No measurement is named for this step, so it is drawn as an unconfirmed link.

    The measurement behind this step

    Blocking AT1 removes Gq-mediated phospholipase C activation, so inositol trisphosphate and diacylglycerol fall, cytosolic calcium falls, and vascular smooth muscle relaxes; aldosterone release from the adrenal cortex falls, and efferent glomerular arteriolar tone falls. Because angiotensin-converting enzyme is not inhibited, kininase II activity is preserved and bradykinin is degraded normally, which is why cough caused discontinuation in 0.3% on losartan against 2.7% on captopril in ELITE II.

  6. What that does for a person

    Pressure falls, and in LIFE there were 77 fewer strokes

    Blood pressure comes down over weeks. In the trial that counted events, the difference against the comparator drug showed up in strokes, and in proteinuria and kidney failure in the diabetic kidney trial.

    Measured in people. Written by a person from the study named beside the step. Not signed off as a reviewed claim.

    The measurement behind this step

    In LIFE, fatal or non-fatal stroke occurred in 232 losartan patients against 309 on atenolol at essentially identical blood pressures (relative risk 0.75, p=0.001). In RENAAL, proteinuria fell 35% against placebo and end-stage renal disease fell 28%, with no effect on death.

No suggested links are held for this record, so nothing is hidden from this path.

What we know
The record describes 5 steps from taking it to an effect in a person.
How we know it
Each step names the study behind it in the technical detail beside it.
What this does not prove
A change inside the body is a reason to look. It is not a result in a person.
Why it matters
A reader can see exactly where the chain stops being measured in people.
What we still do not know
No reviewed claim binds any of these steps to a named population.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Felt, measured, or meaningful

Three different things that get called the same word. Registered studies measured all three, and mixing them is how a blood test becomes a health claim.

Felt

Things a person could notice without a test.

No registered study measured anything of this kind.

Measured

Things only a test, a scale or a device shows.

  • decrease in supine systolic blood pressure
  • blood pressure surge in the morning
  • gfr hba1c and the adiponectin concentration
  • increase in serum potassium 6 0
  • seated trough cuff diastolic blood pressure at week 8
  • insulin resistance
  • liver biopsy histologic improvement
  • systolic blood pressure
  • trough supine diastolic blood pressure at week 8
  • microalbuminuria reported as urinary albumin creatinine

and 3 more.

Meaningful

Things that change how a life goes, not only a number.

  • death
  • survival at 2 years
  • six minute walk distance in meters

A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. A number moving is not the same as a life going better. The two are shown apart here.

Felt, but not shown to help. A person notices a change. No study showed it leads anywhere good.

Measured, but not felt. A number moves. The person notices nothing. Both can be true.

Measured, but not shown to matter. A number moves in the good direction. Nobody showed that lives went better.

Matters, but takes years. The result that counts may take longer than anyone would keep watching.

Names that fit none of the three (24)
  • retinal endothelial function
  • after one year of treatment in proteinuria
  • renal function
  • homa index
  • pulse wave velocity
  • left ventricular hypertrophy
  • bsa and age adjusted aortic root diameter
  • arterial stiffness and platelet function
  • average changes from baseline in sitdbp
  • area under the curve of hctz
  • adverse events
  • pharmacokinetic parameters
  • rate of change in gfr
  • c terminal propeptide of procollagen type i
  • coronary flow reserve
  • bioequivalence determined by statistical comparison cmax
  • bioequivalence based on cmax
  • incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation
  • who experience 1 adverse event
  • who experience 1 drug related ae

These are harms, study-process measures, or names the rules did not recognise. They are shown rather than dropped.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How long anything takes

Nine different lengths of time that get confused with each other. None of them is worked out from another.

  1. Before anything is noticed. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  2. Before a test result moves. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  3. Before performance moves. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  4. How long the result was watched. No finished study window is recorded for a study that tested this substance.

  5. How long people took it. How long people actually took it is not stored. The study window is not the same thing.

  6. How long people were followed. Follow-up length is not stored separately. It is never read off the study window, which would be a different thing.

  7. How fast the body clears it. about 2 hours (active metabolite: about 6 to 9 hours) hours

    Read from the label, which states: “The terminal half-life of losartan is about 2 hours and of the metabolite is about 6 to 9 hours.”

  8. How long effects linger. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  9. Beyond the studies. Nothing is recorded about the long term.

    The longest finished study sets the edge of what anyone measured.

A study window is not how long people took it, and neither is how long they were followed. Where RNAWiki holds only one of the three, it shows one.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Were people like you studied?

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it, and where the result stops carrying.

Who was studied

People similar to this profile were included.

  • Widely prescribed for hypertension, particularly in people who could not tolerate an ACE inhibitor because of cough. Also used for diabetic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes and for hypertension with electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy. It is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines.

Who is missing from the studies

  • Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What the label states about particular groups

  • On pediatric, the label states: “Safety and effectiveness have not been established in pediatric patients under the age of 6 or in pediatric patients with glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73 m 2 [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.1 ), Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 ), and Clinical Studies ( 14.1 )].”

    US prescribing information · be2432ba-2118-418a-addf-56db9b6c39d2 · read 2026-08-30

  • On older people, the label states: “Of the total number of patients receiving losartan potassium in controlled clinical studies for hypertension, 391 patients (19%) were 65 years and over, while 37 patients (2%) were 75 years and over.”

    US prescribing information · be2432ba-2118-418a-addf-56db9b6c39d2 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are pregnant, the label states: “Teratogenic Effects Pregnancy Category D Use of drugs that act on the renin-angiotensin system during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy reduces fetal renal function and increases fetal and neonatal morbidity and death.”

    US prescribing information · be2432ba-2118-418a-addf-56db9b6c39d2 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are breastfeeding, the label states: “It is not known whether losartan is excreted in human milk, but significant levels of losartan and its active metabolite were shown to be present in rat milk.”

    US prescribing information · be2432ba-2118-418a-addf-56db9b6c39d2 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people with reduced liver function, the label states: “The recommended starting dose of losartan potassium tablets is 25 mg in patients with mild-to-moderate hepatic impairment.”

    US prescribing information · be2432ba-2118-418a-addf-56db9b6c39d2 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people with reduced kidney function, the label states: “Patients with renal insufficiency have elevated plasma concentrations of losartan and its active metabolite compared to subjects with normal renal function.”

    US prescribing information · be2432ba-2118-418a-addf-56db9b6c39d2 · read 2026-08-30

Where the result stopped carrying

  • ELITE I raised a survival advantage over captopril that ELITE II, built to confirm it, reversed in direction (HR 1.13)
  • OPTIMAAL found 18% mortality on losartan against 16% on captopril and concluded ACE inhibitors should remain first choice after myocardial infarction
  • Myocardial infarction in LIFE ran at a relative risk of 1.07 in the losartan arm, inside a composite the drug won
  • This is a scope explorer, not a diagnosis engine.
  • It shows who was studied so you can see whether people similar to you were included.

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Why it might seem to do nothing

A real effect and a noticed effect are different things. These are the recorded reasons the two come apart.

It was studied for a different goal

The studies measured something else entirely.

On this record: Some registered studies measured things that match no goal on this page.

It was studied in different people

The people in the studies were not much like the reader.

On this record: Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

The evidence may simply be wrong

Small early studies often do not hold up.

On this record: RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Other reasons RNAWiki checked and found nothing for (10)
A different form was studied
The studied form is not the form on the shelf. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
There was nothing to correct
Where a level is already normal, topping it up may change nothing. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else had to happen too
In the studies it was paired with training, a diet or another treatment. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The change is too small to feel
A real change can still sit below what a person notices. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Day-to-day swing hides it
Sleep, food, stress and time of day move most numbers more than this would. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Not enough time yet
The studies ran longer than the person has waited. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
It was not taken as studied
Missed days change the result, and studies count them. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else changed at the same time
Two changes at once cannot be told apart afterwards. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The product may not be what it says
Contents of a sold product are not always what the label states. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
No recorded reason
RNAWiki has nothing stored that would explain it. Nothing in this record points to this reason.

None of these is a reason to take more. Taking more is not a step this page ever suggests.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What taking it involves

The recorded facts about getting hold of it and using it. Nothing here is a suggestion about what you should do.

How it is supplied

Prescription only

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Read from the recorded approval status.

No source is stored against this line.

Form and route

Oral tablet, and fixed combinations with hydrochlorothiazide

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form and route recorded on this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

Who oversees it

Professional supervision is normally required. A regulator classifies this substance in a way that restricts how it is supplied.

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Suppression classes recorded: S3, S6.

No source is stored against this line.

What is in the pack

Once or twice daily.

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

Recorded notes on how this is sold. The rest of the recorded wording: Bioavailability is about a third because of first-pass metabolism, and the duration of effect comes from the active metabolite rather than the parent, so the plasma half-life of losartan itself understates how long the drug works.

No source is stored against this line.

Where it is registered

Regulatory records are listed in the technical disclosure at the foot of this page.

Counted from records

Where this came from

A count of rows RNAWiki holds. It describes our records, not your body.

Register entries are stored per jurisdiction and shown with their dates.

No source is stored against this line.

Why people stop

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

No record of why people stopped taking it is stored for this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What can go wrong

Sorted by where each line came from. A regulator's label and a report somebody sent in are not the same kind of fact.

Worth asking a clinician aboutWritten into the record from the studies named on this page

The US label carries a boxed warning that drugs acting on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the developing fetus and must be stopped when pregnancy is detected. Hyperkalaemia and a rise in serum creatinine occur, particularly with renal impairment, potassium supplements, salt substitutes or potassium-sparing diuretics. Symptomatic hypotension occurs in volume-depleted patients. Cough is far less frequent than with an ACE inhibitor; angioedema still occurs, though rarely. Losartan uniquely among the class lowers serum uric acid by inhibiting the renal urate transporter.

Nobody counted how many people took this and were fine, so this cannot be turned into a rate.

Where this came from

Reports sent to a regulator

  • These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction.
  • Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing.
  • The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete.
  • News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report.
  • A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Losartan appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 2852 reaction mentions were counted. One report can name several reactions.

The recorded terms (10)
  • acute kidney injury — 474 reaction mentions
  • hypotension — 435 reaction mentions
  • dizziness — 355 reaction mentions
  • hyperkalaemia — 305 reaction mentions
  • cough — 250 reaction mentions
  • hyponatraemia — 249 reaction mentions
  • angioedema — 231 reaction mentions
  • hypertension — 228 reaction mentions
  • blood pressure increased — 222 reaction mentions
  • orthostatic hypotension — 103 reaction mentions
  • open-targets-adr · recorded 2026-06-24 · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Over a long time. No completed tested study window is recorded, so long-term effects are not established by the registry record.

Groups the studies covered thinly. Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Does the exact form matter?

Evidence belongs to the exact thing that was tested. A different salt, a different mixture or a different preparation is a different question.

The form that was studied

Oral tablet, and fixed combinations with hydrochlorothiazide

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form used in the studies cited on this page.

No source is stored against this line.

What is sold

A recorded note compares this form with the others that are sold. It is kept below, word for word.

A fixed RNAWiki sentence

Where this came from

Wording RNAWiki always uses, not a finding about this substance.

The recorded note, unchanged: Bioavailability is about a third because of first-pass metabolism, and the duration of effect comes from the active metabolite rather than the parent, so the plasma half-life of losartan itself understates how long the drug works.

No source is stored against this line.

What is recorded as being sold

  • 349 products list this as an active ingredient in the United States drug directory. 232 of them contain it and nothing else.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 71610-671 · read 2026-08-29

  • They are sold as granule, powder, suspension, tablet and tablet, film coated, taken oral.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 71610-671 · read 2026-08-29

  • The regulator's established pharmacologic class for it is angiotensin 2 receptor antagonists [moa] and angiotensin 2 receptor blocker [epc].

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 71610-671 · read 2026-08-29

  • 217 published labels name it as an active ingredient. 141 of them describe this substance alone, which is where its own label text on this page comes from.

    US prescribing information · 198d5151-7982-4639-9fe1-6573a4529348 · read 2026-08-29

  • Those labels are classed as human prescription drug.

    US prescribing information · 198d5151-7982-4639-9fe1-6573a4529348 · read 2026-08-29

  • Losartan Potassium is film-coated tablets at Tablets: 25 mg; 50 mg; and 100 mg, recorded as prescription product; fda label in effect 2025-10-22 in the United States.

    US prescribing information · 021cd76a-b093-4704-8410-5e7d01e20a54 · read 2026-08-27

  • Recorded price in US: 0.02206–0.04396 USD per one unit as the pricing file counts it — a tablet, capsule, patch or single item, across 118 priced products whose strengths and pack forms differ, as of 2026-08-26, paid by retail pharmacies buying the product, as surveyed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is not a list price, an insurance price, or what anyone pays at a counter..

    Recorded source · 2026-08-26 · read 2026-08-28

Evidence carries across two names for one substance. It does not carry across a salt, a mirror form or a mixture.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What you could measure

This one is decided with a clinician, so this section holds questions to ask rather than a plan to run.

Self-experiment planning is not offered for a prescription or clinician-supervised medicine. The questions below are for a clinician or pharmacist.

Questions worth asking

  • Which of the trials of Losartan studied people like me?
  • What was measured, and for how long?
  • Was the result a laboratory value or a health outcome?
  • What would we watch for, and when would we stop?

Tracking can show whether something changed for you. It cannot show what caused it.

RNAWiki records evidence. It does not say whether this substance is right for you.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Claims that go past the evidence

Things said about this substance that sound reasonable, and the exact step that is missing between the evidence and the claim.

Goes past the evidence

That losartan reduces cardiovascular events generally beyond blood pressure lowering — the LIFE composite was a stroke effect, with myocardial infarction numerically higher

Why it sounds right. It follows from something real on this page: a body step, an animal result or a related finding.

The missing step. Nobody measured this in people for this use, or the study that did measure it did not show it.

What would change this

A study in people, for this exact use, measuring this exact thing, that a reviewer signs off.

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Goes past the evidence

That 29% of the LIFE benefit is attributable to losartan lowering uric acid — a post-hoc mediation estimate on a post-randomisation variable

Why it sounds right. It follows from something real on this page: a body step, an animal result or a related finding.

The missing step. Nobody measured this in people for this use, or the study that did measure it did not show it.

What would change this

A study in people, for this exact use, measuring this exact thing, that a reviewer signs off.

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Goes past the evidence

That blocking the receptor is at least as good as blocking the enzyme — ELITE II and OPTIMAAL both pointed the other way and neither reached significance in either direction

Why it sounds right. It follows from something real on this page: a body step, an animal result or a related finding.

The missing step. Nobody measured this in people for this use, or the study that did measure it did not show it.

What would change this

A study in people, for this exact use, measuring this exact thing, that a reviewer signs off.

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Goes past the evidence

That RENAAL showed a survival benefit — it explicitly reported no effect on the rate of death

Why it sounds right. It follows from something real on this page: a body step, an animal result or a related finding.

The missing step. Nobody measured this in people for this use, or the study that did measure it did not show it.

What would change this

A study in people, for this exact use, measuring this exact thing, that a reviewer signs off.

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What nobody knows yet

Open questions, each with why it is open and what would close it.

Missing populations

Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing long-term data

No completed tested study window is recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

No reviewed conclusion

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing interaction studies

No interaction was found in the registers checked. Not finding one is not the same as showing there is none.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Formulation uncertainty

Several salts, forms or products of Losartan are recorded. Results from one form may not transfer to another.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Mechanism not reviewed

No reviewed mechanism story exists for this substance.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Check any of this yourself

Every line above traced back to the study it came from. This is the technical layer, and the vocabulary changes here.

Every line above can be traced to the study named beside it. Follow the link and read it.

LIFE: 508 primary events against 588 on atenolol, at the same blood pressure
In plain words
More than nine thousand people with high blood pressure and a thickened heart muscle were randomised to losartan or to atenolol. Both drugs lowered pressure by the same amount. The losartan group had fewer combined heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths.
What was measured
Composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke over at least 4 years
Effect estimate
No reviewed effect estimate exists for this record.
Limits
See the technical detail.
From the source
LIFE randomised 9,193 participants aged 55 to 80 with essential hypertension (sitting pressure 160-200/95-115 mm Hg) and electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy to once-daily losartan-based or atenolol-based treatment, for at least 4 years and until 1,040 primary events had occurred. Blood pressure fell by 30.2/16.6 mm Hg on losartan and 29.1/16.8 mm Hg on atenolol — effectively identical. The primary composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke occurred in 508 losartan patients (23.8 per 1,000 patient-years) against 588 atenolol patients (27.9 per 1,000 patient-years): relative risk 0.87 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.98), p=0.021. New-onset diabetes was less frequent with losartan.
Source
Dahlöf B et al., LIFE, Lancet 2002;359:995-1003
Role in the trial
Not matched to a registered study
Identity check
no open identity hold
Audit mark
verified
Review state
Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim
The LIFE composite was carried by stroke alone, and myocardial infarction went the other way
In plain words
Break the winning composite into its three parts and only one of them moved. Strokes fell by a quarter. Cardiovascular deaths did not change significantly. Heart attacks were slightly more common on losartan.
What was measured
Component-level relative risks for stroke, myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death within the LIFE composite
Effect estimate
No reviewed effect estimate exists for this record.
Limits
See the technical detail.
From the source
Within the LIFE primary composite, fatal or non-fatal stroke occurred in 232 losartan patients against 309 on atenolol: relative risk 0.75 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.89), p=0.001. Cardiovascular death occurred in 204 against 234: 0.89 (0.73 to 1.07), p=0.206, which does not exclude no effect. Fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction occurred in 198 losartan patients against 188 on atenolol: 1.07 (0.88 to 1.31), p=0.491 — numerically in atenolol's favour. The paper's own interpretation, that losartan "seems to confer benefits beyond reduction in blood pressure", rests on the composite; the component analysis shows that what was demonstrated is a stroke difference, not a general cardiovascular one.
Source
Dahlöf B et al., LIFE, Lancet 2002;359:995-1003
Role in the trial
Not matched to a registered study
Identity check
no open identity hold
Audit mark
contested
Review state
Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim
RENAAL: kidney endpoints moved and mortality did not
In plain words
Fifteen hundred people with type 2 diabetes and kidney damage took losartan or placebo on top of their other blood pressure drugs. Fewer reached kidney failure. The same number died.
What was measured
Doubling of serum creatinine, end-stage renal disease and death over a mean 3.4 years
Effect estimate
No reviewed effect estimate exists for this record.
Limits
See the technical detail.
From the source
RENAAL randomised 1,513 patients with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy to losartan 50 to 100 mg daily or placebo, both added to conventional antihypertensive treatment excluding other renin-angiotensin drugs, for a mean of 3.4 years. The primary composite of doubling of serum creatinine, end-stage renal disease or death occurred in 327 losartan patients against 359 on placebo: a 16% risk reduction, p=0.02. Doubling of serum creatinine fell 25% (p=0.006) and end-stage renal disease fell 28% (p=0.002). There was no effect on the rate of death. The cardiovascular morbidity and mortality composite was similar between groups, though first hospitalisation for heart failure fell 32% (p=0.005). Proteinuria declined by 35% against placebo (p<0.001). The authors state the benefit exceeded that attributable to blood pressure change.
Source
Brenner BM et al., RENAAL, N Engl J Med 2001;345:861-869
Role in the trial
Not matched to a registered study
Identity check
no open identity hold
Audit mark
verified
Review state
Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim
ELITE I suggested losartan beat captopril on survival; ELITE II found it did not
In plain words
A first trial in elderly heart failure patients unexpectedly showed fewer deaths on losartan than on an ACE inhibitor. A larger trial was built to confirm it. Losartan came out numerically worse.
What was measured
All-cause mortality, losartan versus captopril, in elderly heart failure
Effect estimate
No reviewed effect estimate exists for this record.
Limits
See the technical detail.
From the source
ELITE II randomised 3,152 patients aged 60 or older with NYHA class II-IV heart failure and ejection fraction of 40% or less, stratified for beta-blocker use, to losartan titrated to 50 mg once daily (n=1,578) or captopril titrated to 50 mg three times daily (n=1,574). Median follow-up was 555 days. Average annual all-cause mortality was 11.7% on losartan against 10.4% on captopril: hazard ratio 1.13 (95.7% CI 0.95 to 1.35), p=0.16. Sudden death or resuscitated arrest was 9.0% against 7.3%: 1.25 (0.98 to 1.60), p=0.08. Neither difference reached significance, and both point away from the ELITE I hypothesis. Losartan was better tolerated: 9.7% against 14.7% discontinued for adverse effects (p<0.001), with cough causing discontinuation in 0.3% against 2.7%.
Source
Pitt B et al., ELITE II, Lancet 2000;355:1582-1587
Role in the trial
Not matched to a registered study
Identity check
no open identity hold
Audit mark
verified
Review state
Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim
OPTIMAAL: after a heart attack, more deaths on losartan than on captopril
In plain words
Nearly five and a half thousand high-risk patients after a heart attack were randomised to losartan or an ACE inhibitor. Eighteen per cent of the losartan group died against sixteen per cent on the ACE inhibitor. The trial concluded ACE inhibitors should stay first choice.
What was measured
All-cause mortality over a mean 2.7 years after acute myocardial infarction
Effect estimate
No reviewed effect estimate exists for this record.
Limits
This entry records a failure.
From the source
OPTIMAAL recruited 5,477 patients aged 50 or older with confirmed acute myocardial infarction plus heart failure in the acute phase, or a new anterior Q-wave infarction or reinfarction, from 329 centres in seven European countries, randomised to losartan 50 mg once daily or captopril 50 mg three times daily as tolerated. Over a mean 2.7 years there were 946 deaths: 499 (18%) on losartan against 447 (16%) on captopril, relative risk 1.13 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.28), p=0.07. Sudden cardiac death or resuscitated arrest was 239 (9%) against 203 (7%), 1.19 (0.98 to 1.43), p=0.07. Reinfarction and all-cause hospital admission did not differ. Losartan was significantly better tolerated, with 458 (17%) against 624 (23%) discontinuing (p<0.0001). The stated interpretation is that ACE inhibitors should remain first-choice treatment and losartan cannot be generally recommended in this population.
Source
Dickstein K et al., OPTIMAAL, Lancet 2002;360:752-760
Role in the trial
Not matched to a registered study
Identity check
no open identity hold
Audit mark
verified
Review state
Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim
The uric acid explanation for LIFE is a post-hoc mediation analysis
In plain words
Losartan is the only drug in its class that lowers uric acid. A later analysis suggested that effect explained about 29% of the trial's benefit. That analysis was done after the fact, on a variable nobody was randomised to.
What was measured
That 29% of the LIFE benefit was caused by losartan lowering uric acid — a mediation estimate on a post-randomisation variable, not a randomised comparison
Effect estimate
No reviewed effect estimate exists for this record.
Limits
See the technical detail.
From the source
A LIFE substudy examined serum uric acid across 4.8 years. Baseline uric acid was associated with cardiovascular events, hazard ratio 1.024 (95% CI 1.017 to 1.032) per 10 micromol/L. The rise in uric acid over the trial was attenuated by losartan relative to atenolol, and the analysis reports this as "appearing to explain 29% of the treatment effect on the primary composite end point", with a stronger association in women than men. The uricosuric effect is real and mechanistically specific — losartan inhibits the renal urate transporter URAT1, which the other angiotensin receptor blockers do not. But attributing a share of a randomised treatment effect to a post-randomisation biomarker requires assumptions that the trial design cannot test, and the figure is an estimate from a regression model rather than a measured contribution.
Source
Høieggen A et al., LIFE uric acid substudy, Kidney Int 2004;65:1041-1049
Role in the trial
Not matched to a registered study
Identity check
no open identity hold
Audit mark
caution
Review state
Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim

How many documents were read

  • 140 documents were read for this substance.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 140 of them state the same halfLife, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 140 of them state the same bioavailability, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 140 of them state the same tMax, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 140 of them state the same volumeOfDistribution, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

Where else this substance is registered

FDA substance identifier (UNII)
3ST302B24A
CAS registry number
114798-26-4
PubChem compound
3961
RxNorm concept
52175

Checks this page had to pass

  • Passed

    Identity resolved

    no open identity hold

  • Passed

    No unresolved merge across substance families

    no quarantine open

  • Passed

    Every public sentence names a source

    The opening statement carries the origin: Written into the record, not signed off.

  • Not passed

    Trial roles classified for highlighted evidence

    No registered study is classified as testing this substance.

  • Passed

    No internal keys in reader text

    enforced by the copy-contract test over the rendered page

  • Passed

    Safety mode resolved

    Suppression classes recorded: S3, S6.

  • Passed

    Canonical metadata present

    slug and display name present

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How this medicine reached us

Kept near the foot of the page. A historical event moves up only when it changes something about this substance today.

What the approval register records

  • 46 approved applications cover products containing this substance. The earliest was NDA020386, approved 19950414 to ORGANON.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA020386 · read 2026-08-29

  • Marketing status on the register: discontinued and prescription.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA020386 · read 2026-08-29

  • The earliest marketing start date recorded for a listed product is 19950414.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 71610-671 · read 2026-08-29

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What to learn next

Ordered by what would most change how you read this page, starting with what is easiest to misunderstand.

This order is fixed in code and does not count clicks or time on the page.

What is not here

3 questions this page could not answer

These sections were prepared and left out because there was nothing to put in them. They are listed rather than hidden, so the gaps in this record are visible.

  • What it may clash with — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • Other ways to the same goal — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • What changed on this page — found nothing in the sources checked.

The record as stored

The full record, for auditing

Everything above is built from what is below. This layer keeps the technical vocabulary, record identifiers and every stored row, so a reader who wants to check the page can.

The older medicine-wide conclusion held in this record

Written for a clinical reader, and about the medicine as a whole rather than about one indication, population and set of trials. RNAWiki does not treat it as a programme conclusion and no reviewer has signed it off in that form. It is here word for word because it is what the record holds.

The first angiotensin receptor blocker: it beat atenolol on a cardiovascular composite in 9,193 patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, but that composite was carried entirely by stroke while myocardial infarction went the other way, and in two head-to-head trials against captopril — in heart failure and after myocardial infarction — it was numerically worse on mortality both times.

Recorded evidence blocks (13)

What did Losartan's largest trial (40000 people) and its longest (19 years) measure?


40000 people in Losartan's largest registered study, 19 years in its longest registered window, measuring Average levels of cellular senescence, transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) serum biomarkers. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

62 phase2, 60 phase4, 55 phase3, 47 na, 36 phase1, 14 early phase1, 8 na or unstated; NCT00340678; 2014-03. Last human test completed 2026, NCT05012631.

Interpretation These counts include studies where Losartan was a comparison treatment, a background treatment or an exposure in an observational study, and the longest window may be a planned end date. Trial roles have not yet been classified for this record.

Show the evidence
  • phase2
    62
  • phase4
    60
  • phase3
    55
  • na
    47
  • phase1
    36
  • early phase1
    14
2 more recorded rows
  • na or unstated
    8
  • Last recorded human test NCT05012631
    2026-05-28

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

From mouse to human: where has Losartan shown lifespan?


mouse: lifespan, rat: mechanism-only and human: biomarker (268): the rungs where Losartan has a recorded finding. Europe PMC and ClinicalTrials.gov · organism ladder · 2026-09-01

Average levels of cellular senescence, transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) serum biomarkers — the recorded outcome words.

Yeast C. elegans Drosophila Mouse lifespanRat mechanism-onlyDog Non-human primate Human biomarker
Show the evidence
  • mouse
    lifespan
  • rat
    mechanism-only
  • human NCT05637216
    biomarker; Average levels of cellular senescence, transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) serum biomarkers; 268

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

36 of Losartan's trials stopped: safety, futility/efficacy, accrual/recruitment, funding/business, other?


safety (2), futility/efficacy (3), accrual/recruitment (16), funding/business (3) and other (12): Losartan's stop wording, clustered. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

"No patient could be recruited."; 36 of 268 registered studies

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00152633
    withdrawn; "No patient could be recruited."
  • NCT00280215
    withdrawn; "Inadequate number of patients, lack of funding"
  • NCT00447603
    terminated; "Achieving site readiness and enrolling the trial within a reasonable time"
  • NCT00456963
    terminated; "Because of delay in approval of the protocol by a number of Ethics Commitees the trial was terminated on March 4, 2010. No patient had received any study drug."
  • NCT00467831
    terminated; "insufficient enrollment"
  • NCT00555217
    terminated; "It was stopped primarily because of safety concerns along with low conditional power to detect a treatment effect on the primary outcome."
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT00630708
    terminated; "Significant differences observed between groups."
  • NCT00649311
    terminated; "Poor enrollment; termination not due to safety reasons."
  • NCT00763893
    terminated; "A similar publication has been released, suggesting a beneficial effect of sartans, and only 15 patients remained to be seen for their visit at 36 months."
  • NCT00880386
    withdrawn; "Study concept was not approved by NCI. Study was never activated. No enrollment"
  • NCT00981747
    terminated; "Funding was withdrawn."
  • NCT01234922
    terminated; "slow accrual"
  • NCT01276613
    terminated; "Per memo from study team"
  • NCT01292694
    terminated; "Could not enroll enough participants, and lost funding."
  • NCT01390181
    terminated; "Due to low enrollment the decision was made to terminate study prior to final data collection for any individual."
  • NCT02238457
    withdrawn; "Difficulty recruiting patients"
  • NCT02263729
    terminated; "The study was terminated due to difficulty identifying eligible participants and the expiration of funding."
  • NCT02373241
    terminated; "Estimated GFR was determined not to be a reliable endpoint for this study. We identified significant variabilty in annual eGFR that it became inappropriate to randomize to a medication but use EGFR as the primary endpoint."
  • NCT02410005
    terminated; "Logistic challenges"
  • NCT02416102
    terminated; "Difficulty in recruitment"

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Human studies of Losartan used Losartan 100mg — over how long?


studies of Losartan used the recorded amount. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

20 recorded entries; human; tablet; also "Losartan 100mg", "Losartan 50 mg", "Losartan 150 mg"

Show the evidence

human

  • NCT00067990
    Losartan 100mg
  • NCT00090259
    Losartan 50 mg
  • NCT00090259
    Losartan 150 mg
  • NCT00519870
    losartan (Cozaar, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Wilmington, DE, USA) 50 mg/d
  • NCT01307046
    Placebo to losartan 100 mg
  • NCT01307046
    Placebo to losartan 50 mg
14 more recorded rows
  • human NCT02056743
    Losartan 50mg
  • human NCT02063100
    Losartan potassium 50mg
  • human NCT02063100
    Shenyankangfu tablets and Losartan potassium 50mg
  • human NCT02063100
    Shenyankangfu tablets and Losartan potassium 100mg
  • human NCT02063100
    Losartan potassium 100mg
  • human NCT02212769
    tablet; Cozaar tablet 50mg
  • human NCT02212769
    DW1029M 1200mg and Losartan 50mg
  • human NCT02212769
    Concomitant of DW1029M 1200mg and Losartan 50mg
  • human NCT02416102
    Losartan 100 mg
  • human NCT02620306
    Losartan 50mg~100mg
  • human NCT03459911
    Cozaar 100mg Tablet
  • human NCT04078711
    Losartan 100Mg Tab
  • human NCT04238702
    Losartan 50Mg Tab
  • human NCT04278495
    Cozaar (Losartan Potassium 25mg)

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Losartan's half-life is about 2 hours (active metabolite: about 6 to 9 hours) — which schedules were studied?


about 2 hours (active metabolite: about 6 to 9 hours), the half-life Losartan's label states. openfda-label · e136356b-e4d2-4e00-a409-35825c5637c9 · 2026-08-27

bioavailability approximately 33% %.

Show the evidence
  • half life
    about 2 hours (active metabolite: about 6 to 9 hours) hours; The terminal half-life of losartan is about 2 hours and of the metabolite is about 6 to 9 hours.
  • bioavailability
    approximately 33% %; Following oral administration, losartan is well absorbed and undergoes substantial first-pass metabolism. The systemic bioavailability of losartan is approximately 33%.
  • metabolism
    12.3 Pharmacokinetics Absorption : Following oral administration, losartan is well absorbed and undergoes substantial first-pass metabolism.

recorded 2026-08-27 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of adverse events, after one year of treatment in proteinuria and area under the curve of hctz did Losartan's trials measure?


adverse events, after one year of treatment in proteinuria and area under the curve of hctz lead 40 outcome terms across Losartan's trials. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

death, renal function, homa index, blood pressure surge in the morning, survival at 2 years and gfr hba1c and the adiponectin concentration follow.

Show the evidence
  • retinal endothelial function
    1
  • after one year of treatment in proteinuria
    1
  • decrease in supine systolic blood pressure
    1
  • death
    1
  • renal function
    1
  • homa index
    1
14 more recorded rows
  • blood pressure surge in the morning
    1
  • survival at 2 years
    1
  • gfr hba1c and the adiponectin concentration
    1
  • pulse wave velocity
    1
  • left ventricular hypertrophy
    1
  • increase in serum potassium 6 0
    1
  • seated trough cuff diastolic blood pressure at week 8
    1
  • insulin resistance
    1
  • bsa and age adjusted aortic root diameter
    1
  • liver biopsy histologic improvement
    1
  • arterial stiffness and platelet function
    1
  • systolic blood pressure
    1
  • trough supine diastolic blood pressure at week 8
    1
  • microalbuminuria reported as urinary albumin creatinine
    1

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of Losartan's 29 ongoing trials reports first?


29 registered trials of Losartan are open; earliest completion 2025-07. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

Characterization of long-term hearing effects; Change in Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA); latest 2033-03-01

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Trial

  • NCT01199978
    "Hearing Outcomes Using Fractionated Proton Radiation Therapy for Vestibular Schwannoma"; n 30; "Characterization of long-term hearing effects"; 2026-11
  • NCT02560805
    "Role of Sympathetic Overactivity and Angiotensin II in PTSD and CV"; n 134; "Change in Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA)"; 2027-03-30
  • NCT02735707
    "Randomized, Embedded, Multifactorial Adaptive Platform Trial for Community- Acquired Pneumonia"; n 20000; "All-cause mortality"; 2028-02
  • NCT03519893
    "Bariatric Surgery and Pharmacokinetics of Losartan"; n 12; "Losartan concentration in blood serum (area under curve (AUC))"; 2026-10
  • NCT03563248
    "Losartan and Nivolumab in Combination With FOLFIRINOX and SBRT in Localized Pancreatic Cancer"; n 168; "Proportion of participants with R0 resection"; 2027-04
  • NCT03900793
    "Losartan + Sunitinib in Treatment of Osteosarcoma"; n 41; "Assessment of Dose-Limiting Toxicities of Losartan and Sunitinib Combination"; 2029-08-01
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT04539808
    "NeoOPTIMIZE: Early Switching of mFOLFIRINOX or Gemcitabine/Nab-Paclitaxel Before Surgery for the Treatment of Resectable, Borderline Resectable, or Locally-Advanced Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer"; n 42; "Proportion of Resectable or BRPC Participants With R0 Resection"; 2027-01-05
  • NCT04662723
    "Multicentre Clinical Study to Evaluate the Effect of Personalized Therapy on Patients With Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy."; n 878; "-Proteinuria reduction within 6 months in IgAN patients with active renal lesions"; 2028-12-31
  • NCT04715568
    "Secondhand Tobacco Smoke and Cardiovascular Disease"; n 100; "Mean Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF)"; 2026-12-31
  • NCT05077800
    "FOLFIRINOX + Elraglusib + Losartan In Pancreatic Cancer"; n 70; "Progression-free survival (PFS)"; 2026-12-31
  • NCT05619653
    "Myocardial Protection in Patients With Post-acute Inflammatory Cardiac Involvement Due to COVID-19"; n 279; "Left ventricular ejection fraction"; 2026-03-31
  • NCT05637216
    "Losartan to Reduce Radiation Induced Fibrosis in Breast Cancer Patients"; n 43; "Fibrosis of the breast or reconstructed breast in irradiated breast cancer patients"; 2027-08-17
  • NCT06108063
    "Mitigation of Arthrofibrosis After Total Knee Arthroplasty Using Losartan"; n 120; "Quantitative Ultrasound Measurement of Capsular Thickness at Lateral Retinaculum"; 2027-06-30
  • NCT06150560
    "A Study of Angiotensin-II Receptor Blocker on Cardiovascular Remodeling (VALUE Trial)"; n 120; "Change in Left Ventricular (LV) Fibrosis"; 2028-07-01
  • NCT06211335
    "Losartan, Pembrolizumab and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Patients With Locally Recurrent, Refractory or Oligometastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma"; n 24; "Incidence of treatment related adverse events"; 2027-06
  • NCT06364176
    "Targeting Inflammation With Losartan to Improve Response to Modulator Therapy in Cystic Fibrosis."; n 42; "Sweat chloride"; 2027-10
  • NCT06624904
    "Losartan and Social Processing"; n 68; "AAT effect score"; 2025-10-01
  • NCT06628154
    "Losartan and Emotional Learning"; n 60; "Reinforcement Learning"; 2025-07
  • NCT06636812
    "Losartan and Emotional Processing in Young People"; n 60; "Fear Extinction"; 2025-12-31
  • NCT06933706
    "Losartan to Improve Outcomes After Multi-ligament Knee Injury"; n 90; "Cincinnati Occupational Rating Scale (CORS)"; 2029-09-30

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which running trial of Losartan could settle lifespan?


NCT05077800 measures Progression-free survival (PFS), reading out 2026-12-31.

2 open trials; n 70; "FOLFIRINOX + Elraglusib + Losartan In Pancreatic Cancer"

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Trial

  • NCT05077800
    "FOLFIRINOX + Elraglusib + Losartan In Pancreatic Cancer"; n 70; "Progression-free survival (PFS)"; 2026-12-31
  • NCT02735707
    "Randomized, Embedded, Multifactorial Adaptive Platform Trial for Community- Acquired Pneumonia"; n 20000; "All-cause mortality"; 2028-02

Which 86 trials of Losartan posted no result?


Posted no result
86 of 86 completed trials
Registrations
NCT00001534, NCT00001741, NCT03276598, NCT01216852, NCT00362960 and NCT01216878, and 80 more
Completion dates
oldest 2003-04; newest 2024-01-01
Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00001534
    2003-04
  • NCT00001741
    2003-04
  • NCT03276598
    2004-04-01
  • NCT01216852
    2004-08
  • NCT00362960
    2004-09
  • NCT01216878
    2004-09
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT00140907
    2005-01-01
  • NCT00856271
    2005-04
  • NCT00151827
    2005-07
  • NCT00185094
    2005-07
  • NCT00519870
    2005-07
  • NCT00298714
    2006-01
  • NCT00364988
    2006-01
  • NCT00407862
    2006-06
  • NCT00361023
    2006-07
  • NCT00663377
    2007-03
  • NCT00275639
    2007-08
  • NCT00720577
    2007-08
  • NCT00419835
    2007-09
  • NCT00561704
    2007-10

At the median, Losartan's trials enrolled 68 people — anything larger?


Median enrolment
68
Largest enrolment
40000
Registered trials counted
263

What do 2852 spontaneous reports say about Losartan — and not say?


These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction. Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing. The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete. News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report. A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Losartan appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 2852 reaction mentions were counted: acute kidney injury 474; hypotension 435; dizziness 355; hyperkalaemia 305. open-targets-adr · CHEMBL191 · 2026-06-24

Show the evidence
  • acute kidney injury
    474
  • hypotension
    435
  • dizziness
    355
  • hyperkalaemia
    305
  • cough
    250
  • hyponatraemia
    249
4 more recorded rows
  • angioedema
    231
  • hypertension
    228
  • blood pressure increased
    222
  • orthostatic hypotension
    103

recorded 2026-06-24 · last checked 2026-09-04

Was Losartan studied with fasting and exercise?


fasting and exercise are named in Losartan's label sentences: "Animals with fasting blood glucose >200 mg/dL were randomized to PPC, losartan, THC + PPC or THC + PPC + losartan." openfda-label+europepmc · 2023-04-01

2 recorded statements; fasting, exercise

Show the evidence
  • fasting
    Animals with fasting blood glucose >200 mg/dL were randomized to PPC, losartan, THC + PPC or THC + PPC + losartan.
  • exercise
    Eighty 18-month-old mice were randomized into the control group (C), exercise group (E), losartan group (L) and losartan plus exercise group (LE).

recorded 2023-04-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

What is recorded about Losartan and autophagy?


"Furthermore, our study revealed that the use of HCQ enhanced the efficacy of losartan to alleviate mechanical stress levels and restore blood vessel integrity beyond its role in autophagy modulation." — where Losartan and autophagy appear together. Europe PMC · pathway abstract search · 2024-11-27

autophagy, mTOR, AMPK, sirtuin; PMID 39604540, 35985410, 36309386, 35988789

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autophagy

  • PMID 39604540
    "Furthermore, our study revealed that the use of HCQ enhanced the efficacy of losartan to alleviate mechanical stress levels and restore blood vessel integrity beyond its role in autophagy modulation."
  • PMID 35985410
    "The deregulated autophagy genes were further used to identify drugs Losartan, BMS-345541, Embelin, Abexinostat, Panobinostat, Vorinostat, PD-184352, PP-1, XMD-1150, Triplotide, Doxorubicin and Ouabain, which could target one or more autophagy hub genes."

mTOR

  • PMID 36309386
    "Losartan treatment slowed muscle degeneration and activated the PI3K-AKT-mTOR and ERK/mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathways required for production of muscle growth factors when combined with exercise."
  • PMID 35988789
    "Therefore, losartan administration-induced muscle recovery may partially be attributed to enhanced Smad1/5/8 and mTOR signaling activation, and reduced activation of canonical TGF-β signaling (Smad2/3) in the soleus muscle."
  • PMID 35903083
    "In clinical trials, increased Klotho was noted with renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (losartan, valsartan), a statin (fluvastatin), mTOR inhibitors (rapamycin, everolimus), vitamin D and pentoxifylline."

AMPK

  • PMID 34604421
    "By adding receptors antagonists (losartan, AT1R antagonist and PD 123319, AT2R antagonist) and/or signaling modulators for AMPK, Akt/PI3K, p38 and PKC we showed the protective effect was enhanced with losartan and abolished with PD 123319."
  • PMID 31155290
    "Furthermore, blocking the Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R) with losartan effectively inhibited Ang II-induced macrophage apoptosis and AMPK/p38 MAPK/MCPIP1/ER pathway activation."
  • PMID 24444314
    "H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes were treated with angiotensin II (AngII) for 24 hrs in the presence or absence of metformin (AMPK agonist), losartan [AngII type 1 receptor (AT1R) blocker], Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, pan-NOS inhibitor), splitomicin (SIRT1 inhibitor) or pifithrin-α (p53 inhibitor)."

sirtuin

  • PMID 24444314
    "H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes were treated with angiotensin II (AngII) for 24 hrs in the presence or absence of metformin (AMPK agonist), losartan [AngII type 1 receptor (AT1R) blocker], Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, pan-NOS inhibitor), splitomicin (SIRT1 inhibitor) or pifithrin-α (p53 inhibitor)."
  • PMID 28146117
    "We postulated that anti-fibrotic effect of losartan is mediated through inhibition of ER stress via SIRT1 (silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1) hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1)/thioredoxin pathway."
  • PMID 28146117
    "Losartan suppressed the TM-induced ER stress, as shown by inhibition of TM-induced expression of GRP78 (glucose related protein 78) and p-eIF2α (phosphospecific-eukaryotic translation initiation factor-2α), through up-regulation of SIRT1 via HO-1 and thioredoxin."

recorded 2024-11-27 · last checked 2026-09-04

Where it is registered
Identifiers, relations and other names

The exact record

ChEMBL id
CHEMBL191
PubChem CID
3961
CAS number
114798-26-4
RxCUI
52175
InChIKey
PSIFNNKUMBGKDQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Also called
Allisartan, Angizaar, Dup-89, Exp-3174, Losartan carboxylic acid, Losartic, Lozap, allisartan isoproxil, angiotensin ii receptor blocker, angiotensin receptor blocker, angiotensin receptor blockers, arb
Development code
E-3174, EXP3174, HGP-1405, HGP1405, NSC-758699, DUP 753, DUP753, DU PONT-753, E-3340, L-158086, MK-0954, MK0954
Salt form
potassium losartan, Losartan potassium component of hyzaar, hyzaar 100/25 mg tablets, losartan potassium 100mg, losartan potassium tablets, Losortan Potassium, Losartan Potassium 50 Mg, Losartan Potassium 25 Mg, Losartan Potassium Tablets, 100 Mg, Losartan Potassium Tablets, 50 Mg, LOSARTAN POTASSIUM 100 mg, Losartan potassium Tablets, 25 mg
Trade name
Cozaar, Losaprex, ARBLI
Sources (11)

Sources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov ·
  • ClinicalTrials.gov ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 snapshot 2026-09-01T09:00:05 ·
  • this record's own fields 2,3,5 ·
  • Europe PMC dose-response search ·
  • Europe PMC pathway abstract search ·
  • Europe PMC search ·
5 more sources

ChEMBL ATC CC BY-SA · ClinicalTrials.gov — US Government work · Europe PMC — metadata only, under the recorded legal gate · Open Targets 26.06 — CC0 · derived from this page's own recorded fields; no external licence · mixed register set; per-register licences in docs/specs/corpus-20k-sources.md · openFDA / DailyMed — US Government work

How these records are assembled · Which registers were checked

Index-quality checks
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  • public claims reviewed: 0 reviewed claim(s); drafts are never rendered
  • source coverage passed: 11 source rows
  • no critical contamination: no quarantine open
  • canonical metadata passed: slug and display name present
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