What drugs are included in the ARB (angiotensin II receptor antagonist) class?
In medicine, “sartan” refers to a group of angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ARBs). Common sartan drugs include (often grouped by their generic names): losartan, valsartan, irbesartan, candesartan, telmisartan, and olmesartan.
How do clinicians use sartan/ARB drugs?
ARBs are used mainly for conditions where blocking angiotensin II helps control blood pressure and reduce strain on the heart, such as hypertension and, in many patients, heart or kidney protection—for example in certain people with diabetes-related kidney disease (often depending on local guidelines and patient-specific factors).
Are all “sartans” the same?
They share the same overall mechanism (they block the angiotensin II type 1 receptor), but they differ in details like dosing frequency, how they’re metabolized, and typical starting doses. That means switching between ARBs is sometimes done when a patient does not tolerate one or when a clinician prefers another agent for a particular indication.
What’s an easy way to recognize an ARB prescription?
If the generic name ends in -sartan, it is typically an ARB (for example, losartan, valsartan, telmisartan, olmesartan).