Angiotensin-II receptor blockers for hypertension and heart failure: quality of life and outcomes.

Quality of life (QoL) is a component of disease and its management that may affect compliance with pharmacotherapy, and thus the success of treatment. Patients' QoL scores are important indicators of the progression of disease and effects of treatment. In hypertension, QoL parameters include medication side effects, depression, and sexual function. In heart failure, parameters include New York Heart Association functional class (men only), exercise tolerance, dyspnea, medication side effects, and costs of therapy. Medication side effects are negatively related to QoL and persistence with therapy. In hypertension, QoL is improved directly by meaningful blood pressure reductions. Overall, angiotensin-II receptor blockers have a low incidence of side effects and provide improved QoL compared with standard therapies for patients with hypertension or heart failure.