Candesartan vs. Losartan for Heart Failure

Although angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are widely used to treat heart failure (HF), different agents have not been directly compared. However, ARBs vary in their affinity for the AT₁ receptor and in their effects on blood pressure. These investigators used data from the Swedish Heart Failure Registry to assess the comparative effectiveness of candesartan and losartan, the ARBs most often prescribed in the cohort, with respect to all-cause mortality.

Of 30,254 registered patients with HF, 2639 received candesartan, and 2500 received losartan. Compared with losartan recipients, candesartan recipients were younger, had less-severe heart failure, and were less likely to reach the target dose of the medication. One-year survival was 90%…