Major clinical studies have defined the current guidelines for the treatment of hypertension. In 1961, the Framingham Heart Study demonstrated that patients with high blood pressure are at increased risk for cardiovascular events -- a finding that changed the practice of medicine by showing the importance of treating hypertensive patients. Following Framingham, in 1970, the Veterans Administration Cooperative Study Group on Antihypertensive Agents reported that treatment significantly reduces mortality and morbidity in hypertensive patients. Since then, many clinical trials have been conducted with diuretics and beta-blockers to document the benefits of lowering blood pressure to improve cardiovascular outcomes for patients. These studies have helped to establish atenolol as one of the most widely prescribed blood pressure medicines in the world.

Subsequent to these trials, many additional studies have been conducted with other blood pressure medicines -- ACE inhibitors and calcium antagonists -- to determine whether these agents provide any benefit to patients beyond what has been documented with beta-blockers and diuretics. With the LIFE trial, losartan became the only agent so far to demonstrate superior benefits over atenolol in reducing the combined risk of cardiovascular death, stroke and heart attack.

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