The Angiotensin-receptor Blockers: From Antihypertensives to Cardiovascular All-round Medications in 10 Years?

Angiotensin-receptor blockers have been part of the antihypertensive treatment armamentarium since the mid-1990s. During this period, the number of agents has increased greatly, as has the number of indications for which these drugs are being tested in randomized controlled clinical trials. Beginning as efficacious and very well tolerated antihypertensives, angiotensin-receptor blockers have been shown to have benefits in patients with diabetes and heart failure that are not only attributable to the reduced blood pressure, as supported by recently concluded trials. The expanding treatment areas with these agents widen the interest in their applicability across the entire cardiovascular continuum. A number of large-scale studies set to report within the next few years will further determine the effects of angiotensin-receptor blockers in a range of cardiovascular indications beyond hypertension.