Three-Month Effects of Candesartan Cilexetil, an Angiotensin II Type 1 (AT1) Receptor Antagonist, on Left Ventricular Mass and Hemodynamics in Patients with Essential Hypertension

Using cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography, we investigated the effects of candesartan cilexetil, a specific angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist, on left ventricular (LV) mass and hemodynamics in patients with essential hypertension. Ten patients (four men and six women) with essential hypertension received candesartan cilexetil 2–8 mg/day orally for 8–12 weeks. After drug administration, systolic blood pressure (BP) decreased from 178.9 ± 17.2 mmHg (mean ± SD) to 150.2 ± 14.3 mmHg (P < 0.0001) and diastolic BP from 101.4 ± 6.5 mmHg to 87.8 ± 11.9 mmHg (P = 0.0021). Both MRI and echocardiography revealed a significant decrease in LV mass index (LVMI) after candesartan cilexetil. MRI indicated that LVMI decreased from 111.3 ± 31.3 g/m2 to 102.6 ± 32.1 g/m2 (P = 0.0484) and echocardiography that LVMI decreased from 123.9 ± 31.1 g/m2 to 115.8 ± 31.4 g/m2 (P = 0.0316). Total systemic vascular resistance decreased significantly during treatment with candesartan cilexetil in both MRI and echocardiography assessment, from 1847.2 ± 636.3 dynes·s·cm–5 to 1540.4 ± 432.0 dynes·s·cm–5 (P = 0.0034) on MRI and from 1820.4 ± 318.8 dynes·s·cm–5 to 1659.0 ± 317.7 dynes·s·cm–5 (P = 0.0060) on echocardiography. These findings suggest that candesartan cilexetil 2–8 mg/day orally for 8–12 weeks is beneficial in the regression of cardiac hypertrophy in patients with essential hypertension.