A new analysis of VALIANT (VALsartan In Acute myocardial iNfarcTion) study data confirms that valsartan is as effective as captopril in reducing risk for atherosclerotic events in patients who recently had a myocardial infarction, according to a presentation at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology.

With this new analysis, valsartan becomes the first drug of its class (angiotensin receptor blocker or ARB) shown to reduce the chance of cardiovascular events in people who have had a recent myocardial infarction.

"Until now, the nature of angiotensin receptor blocker trials has made it difficult to determine whether this class of drugs is effective in preventing atherosclerotic events. We now have further evidence that valsartan is as effective as an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor in preventing atherosclerotic events," said John McMurray, MD, Professor of Medical Cardiology and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, Clinical Research Initiative in Heart Failure, University of Glasgow, Western Infirmary in the United Kingdom and co-principal investigator in VALIANT.

The new retrospective analysis demonstrated similar beneficial effects of valsartan, captopril, and their combination on a composite endpoint of events that may be caused by atherosclerosis in the 14,703 patients randomized in the VALIANT trial.
There was no significant difference between the effects of valsartan or captopril on the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, angina, revascularization, or stroke (2,175 in the valsartan group, 2,228 in the captopril group, and 2,197 in the combination group).

Valsartan is now the only cardiovascular agent ever shown by a head-to-head trial to be at least as effective as an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor in these patients. This finding can translate into a 25 percent reduction by valsartan in premature deaths in patients at high risk following a myocardial infarction.

Data analysis also showed that valsartan is well tolerated in these patients. The percentage of permanent discontinuations due to adverse effects was statistically higher in the captopril-treated patients than in the valsartan-treated patients (7.7 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively).