Angiotensin II Receptor Blockade Physiological and Clinical Implications

The relationship between angiotensin II and hypertension was established in 1898 when angiotensin II was shown to modulate systemic blood pressure. Over the intervening decades, a complete characterization of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been achieved, and our understanding of its biochemistry and physiology has led to the directed development of agents such ·as ACE inhibitors and receptor antagonists capable of controlling hypertension. More recently, it was shown that angiotensin II