Benefits
- Helps your heart muscle to heal after a heart attack
- Can prevent further damage to an already weakened heart
- Can help to control high blood pressure
- Protects your kidneys if you are living with diabetes or kidney disease
- Protects your arteries from getting damaged
- Lowers the chance that you will have a heart attack or stroke
Action
- Prescribed for patients with high blood pressure or heart failure
- Expands (opens up) blood vessels to lower blood pressure and increase the amount of blood the heart pumps
Potential Side Effects
- Nausea (upset stomach)
- Low blood pressure (often noticed from dizziness)
- Headaches
Common Names
- Candesartan (Atacand®)
- Eprosartan (Teveten®)
- Irbesartan (Avapro®)
- Losartan (Cozaar®)
- Olmesartan (Benicar®)
- Telmisartan (Micardis®)
- Valsartan (Diovan®)
Note
Angiotensin II receptor blockers are often presented as a different option from taking ACE inhibitors.
