ORIGINAL ARTICLE
COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF LOSARTAN AND ENALAPRIL ON SERUM DIGOXIN LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE
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1
Inonu University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Malatya, Turkey
2
Harran University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Şanlıurfa, Turkey
3
Inonu University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Malatya, Turkey
Online publication date: 2004-07-15
Publication date: 2004-07-15
Corresponding author
Mustafa Iraz
Inonu University, Faculty of Medicine, Department
of Pharmacology, Turgut Ozal Medical Center 44280,
Malatya, Turkey
Tel: +90 422 361 06 60 / 1326
Fax: +90 422 361 00 36
Eur J Gen Med 2004;1(3):12-15
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of AT1
-receptor antagonist, losartan usage
in place of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, enalapril, in patients with congestive
heart failure (CHF) on serum digoxin concentrations. The study was performed in 17 patients (14
men, 3 women) with CHF of New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II. Their ages
ranged from 42-73 (61.9±2.4) years and they all were being treated with enalapril and digoxin at
the time of the study. Serum digoxin levels were measured after 15 days of enalapril treatment
just before taking digoxin dose in the morning and 2nd and 6th hours after digoxin medication.
Then, losartan was added to treatment instead of enalapril and after 15 days, serum digoxin levels
were measured again in the same patients. Trough serum digoxin levels were 1.19±0.09 ng/mL
after 15 days of enalapril treatment and 1.30±0.13 ng/mL after 15 days of losartan treatment,
the digoxin levels at two and six hours after the morning dosage were 1.79±0.18 and 1.43±0.13
ng/mL after enalapril treatment, and 1.88±0.16 and 1.37±0.12 ng/mL after losartan treatment.
Losartan treatment did not change the serum digoxin concentrations compared to enalapril
treatment. Losartan usage in place of enalapril in patients with CHF receiving enalapril together
with digoxin did not affect serum digoxin concentrations.