Effect of Losartan on Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in Patients With Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC), diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle is a prominent feature caused by myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. Angiotensin II has trophic and profibrotic effects on the heart, and the blockade of angiotensin II receptors reverses hypertrophy and fibrosis in human cardiac diseases and in animal HC. This study investigated the short-term (6 months) effects of losartan 100 mg/day in 20 patients with nonobstructive HC, with an emphasis on left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction, compared with 10 patients with HC who were not treated. At the final evaluation, significant changes were observed in the losartan group: a left atrial diameter decrease (p <0.0001), a tissue Doppler early (Ea) mitral annulus diastolic velocity increase (p = 0.003) and an E/Ea ratio decrease (p = 0.0002), and a significant decrease in plasma levels of the aminoterminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) from a median of 860 to 606 pg/ml (p = 0.001). A significant correlation was found between percentage changes in NT-pro-BNP and the E/Ea ratio from baseline to 6 months (r = 0.61, p = 0.002). In the 2 groups, echocardiographic LV wall and cavity measures did not change. In conclusion, in selected patients with nonobstructive HC, losartan during a 6-month period improved LV diastolic function.