Comparison of effects of losartan, irbesartan, and candesartan on flow-mediated brachial artery dilation and on inflammatory and thrombolytic markers in patients with systemic hypertension.

We administered placebo, losartan 100 mg/day, irbesartan 300 mg/day, and candesartan 16 mg/day during 2 months to 122 patients with mild to moderate hypertension. Compared with placebo, angiotensin II type-1 receptor blockers significantly improved the percent flow-mediated dilator response to hyperemia (p = 0.019 by analysis of variance [ANOVA]) and reduced plasma levels of malondialdehyde (p = 0.005 by ANOVA). However, only irbesartan and candesartan therapies significantly lowered plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 antigen (p <0.001 by ANOVA) with no differences between the 2, and only candesartan therapy significantly lowered plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (p = 0.004 by ANOVA).