Angiotensin II

Medication that is on Angiotensin II play a big role in increasing blood pressure and sodium levels. These are frequently used drugs that are popular with patients who suffer from low blood pressure due to the very rare side effects.

What is Angiotensin II?

Angiotensin, which has been known since 1940, is responsible for regulating blood pressure, is produced in the kidneys and converted to angiotensin II by an enzyme from the lungs.

When a drug is administered with this active ingredient, the effect of the original angiotensin is increased, which leads to a rapid increase in blood pressure. Various studies have shown that angiotensin II leads to a longer life and attenuates the disease in affected patients.

Pharmacological effect

Angiotensin II has been linked to several effects, but the most prominent is the marked increase in blood pressure. As a result, better blood flow to all organs in the body is achieved; the kidney is recorded as a particularly "affected" organ.

Angiotensin II does not only affect one specific organ, because the effects of ingestion can be measured and felt throughout the body. The adrenal cortex is addressed by a significantly increased release of aldosterone. This in turn leads to an increased excretion of potassium ions in the so-called kidney tubules. The increase in volume of the blood is promoted by the reabsorption of water, which in turn leads to increased blood pressure.

Angiotensin II also directly addresses the kidney tubules, which increases blood pressure again. Finally, a certain hormone is released more frequently in the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, causing the blood pressure to rise for the last time. These effects on the various organs are also caused by angiotensin I, but angiotensin II works much more effectively, so that a better effect can be achieved with the same amount of medication. If no side effects occur, Angiotensin II should not affect any other organs or body functions.

Medical application & use

Angiotensin II is used in drug form only to treat low blood pressure. ACE inhibitors represent an alternative, but they cause side effects more frequently, so that angiotensin II preparations can be an effective alternative for patients affected by side effects.

In a large study conducted on 2,640 patients, 20.8% of test candidates asked to discontinue ACE inhibitor treatment due to side effects, while angiotensin II drugs only led to this decision in 12.2% of cases. Treatment with angiotensin II should not be used during pregnancy or the subsequent breastfeeding period, as the child may come into contact with the drug.

Severe grade IV heart failure is also a contraindication, and angiotensin II must not be used for treatment if there are severe functional disorders of the kidneys (since this organ is directly responsible for the effects of angiotensin II) or liver. Angiotensin II can be combined with the ACE inhibitors mentioned, but no long-term studies are available here.

Risks & side effects

Angiotensin II is an active ingredient that rarely causes side effects in the form of drugs. These include, for example, dizziness or a feeling of disorientation, which is why preparations of this type must not be taken for the first time if it is planned to use machines afterwards (such as a car trip).

Furthermore, the liver values ​​can change and the potassium values ​​can increase, but this does not necessarily have to have a negative effect. Angiotensin II can also cause muscle and persistent joint pain and discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract.

These can manifest as diarrhea or constipation, and a slight, persistent feeling of nausea has been demonstrated in some patients. A visible, reddish house blow is also one of the side effects of angiotensin II. All of the side effects listed occur only very rarely.