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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Losartan potassium lowers blood pressure by blocking the action of a natural enzyme in your body. This relaxes and widens blood vessels, making it easier for your heart to pump blood.Losartan potassium is a generic medication that’s prescribed to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It’s also approved to treat kidney disease and lower the risk of stroke in some people with high blood pressure. Losartan belongs to a group of drugs known as angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). You can find it in the United States under the brand name Cozaar.Losartan is available by prescription only. It comes in the form of an oral tablet that you take by mouth. How does losartan work?Photography by AsiaVision/Getty ImagesBlood pressure is the force of your blood as it pushes against your blood vessels. The narrower the vessel, the higher the pressure against its walls. When your blood pressure remains high, those blood vessels can become less flexible over time. This can raise your risk of complications, like a heart attack or stroke. Losartan works by blocking angiotensin II. This enzyme in your body causes your blood vessels to narrow. When angiotensin II is blocked, it reduces the enzyme’s ability to tighten or constrict your blood vessels. Losartan and other ARB medications help relax blood vessels, which in turn, helps lower your blood pressure. A lower blood pressure can help increase the supply of blood and oxygen to your heart.Standard or optimum blood pressure for adults is 120/80, measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Your healthcare professional may recommend losartan if your blood pressure is consistently above 130/80, which they consider as stage 1 hypertension. They may also prescribe it to: lower the risk of a stroke if you have high blood pressure or an enlarged hearttreat kidney problems if you have type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure Need a refill for losartan (Cozaar)? You may be able to get an online prescription through Optum Perks in as little as 15 minutes with no video or appointment needed. Learn more here.100% online careTreatment plans in 15 minutes or less for 40+ conditions.Start consult nowHow quickly does losartan lower blood pressure?You may notice that your blood pressure is lowered during the first few hours after you take losartan. But it may take up to 6 weeks to experience the medication’s full effects. If your blood pressure doesn’t reach the target level (usually 120/80 or under) after 6 weeks, your doctor may increase your dose or add other medications to your plan. It is also possible that your doctor may replace losartan with another blood pressure medication. How much does losartan lower blood pressure?Recent evidence on how much blood pressure is lowered with losartan is limited.A 1995 study of non-Black adult men and women with mild hypertension notes that, within a 24-hour period, all doses of losartan:lowered the mean systolic blood pressure (the top number) between 9.4 and 14.2 mmHglowered the mean diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) between 5.6 and 9.0 mmHgA 2002
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