Losartan and weight gain
Pro Research Analysisby 
Searched over 200M research papers
Losartan and Weight Gain: Effects in Animal Models
Losartan and Body Weight Gain in High-Fat Diet Animal Studies
Multiple studies in rats have shown that losartan, an angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor blocker, can reduce or prevent weight gain when animals are fed a high-fat diet. In diet-induced obese (DIO) rats, losartan administration stopped body weight gain and even led to slight weight loss, while animals on a standard chow diet continued to gain weight as usual. This effect was linked to a decrease in food intake among the high-fat diet groups. When losartan was discontinued, weight gain and food intake returned to previous levels, suggesting the effect is reversible and diet-dependent Smith2014Smith2012.
Another study confirmed that losartan prevented increases in body weight, adiposity index, and metabolic disturbances (such as high triglycerides and insulin levels) in rats on a high-fat diet. Losartan also improved vascular function and reduced fat accumulation in these animals .
Losartan and Weight Gain in Other Animal Models
In studies examining the effects of losartan on hypertensive rats, no significant impact on body weight or fat accumulation was observed compared to other treatments, such as enalapril. Enalapril, but not losartan, reduced the rate of weight gain and fat accumulation in these models .
Losartan and Weight Gain in Reproductive and Developmental Studies
High doses of losartan in pregnant and lactating rats led to decreased maternal weight gain and lower pup weights, especially at higher doses. These effects were most pronounced when exposure occurred during late gestation and lactation, indicating that losartan can affect weight gain and development in offspring under certain conditions .
Losartan and Weight Gain in Human Studies
In a clinical trial involving patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), adding losartan to rosiglitazone therapy did not significantly affect weight gain compared to rosiglitazone alone. This suggests that, in humans, losartan may not have a strong effect on weight gain in the context of this specific metabolic disease .
Conclusion
Losartan consistently reduces or prevents weight gain in animal models fed a high-fat diet, likely by reducing food intake and improving metabolic parameters Smith2014Smith2012Lee2018. However, this effect is not seen in animals on a standard diet or in all disease models . In humans, current evidence does not show a significant effect of losartan on weight gain in metabolic disease settings . High doses during pregnancy and lactation in animals can reduce maternal and offspring weight gain . Overall, losartan may help prevent weight gain in specific high-fat diet scenarios in animals, but its impact on weight in humans remains unclear.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic