Is It Safe To Take Losartan And Atorvastatin Together?

Grftnlrd asked

Is it safe to take losartan and atorvastatin together?

Answer

Yes, for most individuals, it is safe to take losartan (brand name Cozaar) and atorvastatin (brand name Lipitor) together.

There are no known interactions between these two drugs and they belong in different medication classes that are very often used together.

There are, of course, certain individuals that may have a specific contraindication to one drug or the other, but in general, the combination is safe.

What Is Atorvastatin?

Atorvastatin is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, which is used as a cholesterol-lowering drug to reduce the risk and mortality of certain cardiovascular conditions.

Although the mechanism and overall effect of 'statin' drugs like atorvastatin are complex, put in simple terms, HMG-CoA reductase is an enzyme involved in the pathway of cholesterol synthesis and inhibiting this enzyme reduces the production of cholesterol in the liver.

What Is Losartan?

Losartan is classified as an ARB, or 'angiotensin II receptor blocker'. It is used for blood pressure control and for the prevention of certain cardiovascular conditions (e.g. stroke prophylaxis).

Angiotensin II receptor blockers do just that...they block the binding of the hormone angiotensin II to its receptor.

Angiotensin II plays a very important role in the regulation of blood pressure. Not only does it act as a potent vasoconstrictor (i.e. constricts blood vessels), it also signals the secretion of the hormone aldosterone, which regulates many functions in the body, including water balance.

Blocking angiotensin II from binding to its receptor will reduce blood vessel narrowing and cause an overall reduction in blood pressure.

Additional Info

I mentioned above that the drugs in question here, losartan and atorvastatin, are often used together, and it's not surprising.

Considering that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death worldwide, it certainly makes sense that drugs used to treat the condition are used in combination to improve health outcomes.

In fact, blood pressure-lowering agents, like losartan, and ones that lower cholesterol, like atorvastatin, are among the most commonly prescribed drug combinations.

Many medical guidelines recommend the concurrent use of 'statin' drugs and blood pressure-lowering agents (like losartan) and countless studies show that combined cholesterol/blood-pressure-lowering therapy has synergistic effects in reducing mortality.

It, of course, is important to be aware of drug combinations that may be dangerous or could potentially interact with each other, but, as I have discussed here, there is no known concern with using losartan and atorvastatin together.

Thank you for your question!