Cozaar

Product Description

Cozaar (losartan) is a specific antagonist of angiotensin II receptors (subtype AT 1).Cozaar would not inhibit the kinase II enzyme, which catalyzes conversion reaction of angiotensin I to angiotensin II.

Cozaar decreases systemic vascular resistance (SVR), concentration of adrenalin and aldosterone in blood, hypertension, pressure of the pulmonary circuit; reduces afterload, provides urinative effect. Medication prevents myocardial hypertrophy, increases exercise tolerance in patients with cardiac decompensation (heart failure).

Safety information

Indications:

• Arterial hypertension.
• Congestive heart failure (in a combination therapy, in case of intolerance or ineffectiveness of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) therapy).
• Prevention of cardiovascular diseases (including stroke) and mortality in patients with arterial hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy.
• Treatment of diabetic nephropathy with an elevated serum creatinine and proteinuria (urinary albumin to creatinine ratio 300 mg/g or greater) in patients with type 2 diabetes and a history of hypertension (it slows the progression of diabetic nephropathy to terminal chronic renal failure).
• Hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.
• Pregnancy
• Lactation
• Use in people under 18 years old (no data about effectiveness and safety )

How to use Cozaar

The drug is taken orally. You may take Cozaar with or without food. The medicine should be taken once a day. Average daily intake for patients with arterial hypertension is 50 mg. In some cases, in order to achieve better therapeutic effect, the dose should be increased to 100mg and is taken per day or in 2 divided doses.

Initial dose for patients with heart failure is 12,5 mg once a day. Typically, the dose is increased with a weekly interval (ie 12,5 mg per day, 25 mg per day, 50 mg per day) to average maintenance dose 50 mg per day depending on patient’s tolerance of the drug.

Side effects

Most commonly, there are no side effects for losartan. If any discovered, they have transient character, so in general, there is no need to cancel the treatment. Rarely, the following symptoms may arise: drowsiness, anxiety, memory disorders, depression, paresthesia, tremor, hypoaesthesia, migraine, hearing disorders, visual impairments, taste blindness, bronchitis, dyspnea, rhinitis, stomachache, nausea, diarrhea, backache, pain in limbs and chest; cramps, myalgia, persistent hypotension, tachycardia or bradycardia, stenocardia, arrhythmia, anemia.