Losartan but not atenolol reduce carotid artery hypertrophy in essential hypertension. A LIFE substudy

Abstract

Patients with hypertension and LV hypertrophy had hypertrophy of the common carotid arteries. Losartan, but not atenolol, induced regression of this hypertrophy. Because carotid artery hypertrophy has been associated with strokes, our findings may explain the lower incidence of strokes in the LIFE study in patients treated with losartan as compared to atenolol.