Effects of angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker on ambulatory blood pressure variability in hypertensive patients with overt diabetic nephropathy.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Losartan in the context of low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension, published as a randomized controlled trial.

At baseline and at the end of each treatment period, 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring with power spectral analysis of heart rate and measurements of proteinuria, estimated glomerular filtration rate and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were performed.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 30 patients were involved.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were teenagers, young adults, adults, middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind and crossover study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Losartan and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Neither the patients nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Losartan, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

Each person switched between Losartan and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

What Was Measured

At baseline and at the end of each treatment period, 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring with power spectral analysis of heart rate and measurements of proteinuria, estimated glomerular filtration rate and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were performed.

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers, Ankle Brachial Index, Benzimidazoles, Benzoates, Blood Pressure, Circadian Rhythm and Diabetic Nephropathies.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and crossover study of Losartan in 30 patients in people with low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2009 (Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension), a journal based in England.

More context: Low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension research.