Copyright © 2003 by the European Society of Cardiology.
Hotline Editorial
The LIFE study: the straw that should break the camel's back
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In the LIFE study, the most recent landmark trial in hypertension,1–3 more than 9000 hypertensive patients were randomized to either a losartan-based regimen or to an atenolol-based regimen. Although less than 10% of all patients remained on monotherapy of either drug at the end of the study, patients in the losartan arm experienced a significantly better reduction in morbidity and mortality than patients in the atenolol arm. This reduction in morbidity and mortality was mostly driven by a stroke reduction since in the whole study population no significant difference in myocardial infarction (MI) was demonstrated between the two treatment arms. To be included into the study all patients had to have left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) by electrocardiographic (ECG) criteria. More than three decades ago, based on ECG findings, Kannel et al.4 documented LVH to be a powerful
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