Check this out! Stop/reverse aortic enlargement. Anyone try this drug?

[B's Mom]

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2006/04_06_06.html

 

[Carol]

I have been on losartan potassium for a year. I take it for hbp.I also have aortic aneurysm so I will let you know if it works in the future.Let's hope it does.

 

[healthandhope]

Carol -I asked to be put on it last month but he only put me on 25 ml. I have not read about dosages anywhere. Do you know anymore on dosing and may I ask how much you take? B's Mom, too early to tell as you can see. Doctor did not seem to put too much stock in it.

 

[Carol]

I am on 50mg in am,25mg in the evening.Aneurysm has been the same for two years.

 

[healthandhope]

Thanks, Carol. I thought about asking for higher dose and I think I will discuss at next visit.

 

[Carol]

To me, it's worth a try.I seem to have nothing to loose.This is inherited, My Mother and my Grandmother both had one.

 

[RobThatsMe]

I did notice that the date of the article in reference was from April of 2006.

Has anyone come across an updated information on this?

Here is the drug information info.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a695008.html

 

[Rebecca]

I also have been on 50mg of losartan for a year and I also have a aneurysm that will be closely watched.

 

[Carol]

I guess we are a private
Clinical Trial. We should give it a catchy name like ?????????

 

[Rebecca]

Clinical trail

http://www.marfan.org/marfan/2408/Atenolol-vs.-Losartan-Clinical-Trial

 

[caligirl]

I read this last week, and I emailed my cardiologist at Stanford and this was the reply

It has been proposed that (based on the syndromes' underlying biology) Losartan may be beneficial for patients with aortic aneurysm due to Marfan Syndrome or Loeys-Dietz Syndrome.

Unfortunately, there is only a tiny bit of trial data supporting even this conclusion. Some large trials to look at this question are in progress, but none have yet reported results. Also (and somewhat of concern) they did not stop the biggest trial on Marfan and losartan early, as they surely would have if an obvious and clear benefit had been seen. We participated in that trial, and are still waiting for them to publish the results.

There is no trial data at all yet available for people with bicuspid valve (your condition), and we are not putting people on losartan at this time. A small trial with only 25 people was recruiting in Michigan... again not enough to make a decision with.

You will hear Hal Dietz (of Johns Hopkins) encourage everyone with aortic aneurysm to take losartan, but he is rather a crusader in this area, and he is operating on very limited clinical information. Basically, he's guessing.

For the time being we are sticking with beta blockers (like metoprolol), the standard and best known medicine to slow enlargement of any and all aortic aneurysms. I would not consider changing until more data become available.

Hope that's clear!

 

[Rebecca]

I saw my cardiologist a few weeks ago, he up my losartan to 100. I have aortic aneurysm,but it is not in the normal position. My sister at 6’3” does have Marfan Syndrome. I also saw my family doctor a few weeks back and I told him that my younger sister was diagnose with Marfan. My family doctor is about 5’ 7” and he told me his mother had Marfan and was 6’3” and that she died at the age of 55. My family doctor spent 40 minutes talking to me.

 

[Carol]

I should update this thread.My aneurysm has dissapeared.I was on losartan for 18 months.I had a MRI last month and my Vascular surgeon could not see it.

 

[AZ Don]

Carol,
That is great news! I've already had an aneurysm repair but with a BAV there is still some risk of another. I asked my Cardiologist about Losartan and he prescribed 25mg/day for me, specifically on the chance that it may help prevent aneurysms. I am already on Metoprolol for my heart rate, to help avoid Afib as I am less than 3 months post op.

 

[Agian]

I'm taking 50mg Losartan twice a day.

 

[Rebecca]

Thank you Carol for sharing about your aneurysm disappearing. I take losartan 100 once a day for the last three months and I am sometimes having muscle pain especially in my legs. Muscle pain can be a side effect of losartan. I do have aneurysm. I am hoping it disappear or that it does not increase in size.

 

[Carol]

I was just reading up on Hal Dietz MD at John Hopkins. I did not know it is also being used with lungs...smokers. It seems to me it could be a super drug sort of like aspirin has turned out to be. I also now take 100 mg a day....50 am. 50pm.

 

[B's Mom]

I should update this thread.My aneurysm has dissapeared.I was on losartan for 18 months.I had a MRI last month and my Vascular surgeon could not see it.

Carol,

Hi! This is B's Mom...the one who started this thread. I have not been on this forum in quite some time, and, on a whim decided to check it. Imagine my delight when I first saw my thread on the first page, and then your post!! Please elaborate! Are you BAV w/aneurysm or is there Marfan involved? How long did you have your aneurysm before this happened and what size was it and how was it progressing? Really? Gone? FANTASTIC! My son (B) was put on Losartan last February (100 mg a day...divided in two 50 mg doses...I hear the dose is very important)....and we won't know if it is working or not until this coming Feb. But, what a fantastic thing to hear from you. It gave me God bumps and I am so very hopeful! I hope to hear more.

Thank you very much for your update! (oh, did you ever miss a dose or two?)

Kelly