A Study of Muscle Strength Maintenance in Older Adults

Summary

This research study is being done to see whether losartan can prevent the decrease in strength associated with aging. Muscle loss is associated with aging and has multiple symptoms such as weakness, slowness, and fatigue (tiredness). Older adults with muscle weakness have a higher risk of falls and disability. In addition, the loss of independence for older adults can lead to a poorer quality of life. Recently, it was discovered that losartan, a medication commonly used to treat high blood pressure, had slowed the strength decline seen in older mice. In addition, it allowed injured mice skeletal muscle to heal faster. Therefore, we would like to see if losartan can do the same for older adults. Losartan is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of high blood pressure, heart failure, and to protect the kidneys in diabetic patients. Losartan is not FDA-approved to prevent the decrease in strength associated with aging. In this study, participants age 70 and older will be asked to take losartan or a placebo to see if losartan can help prevent loss of muscle strength. A placebo is a substance that looks like the study drug but that contains no active ingredients.

Timeline

Start

2013-07

Primary completion

2016-10

Completion

2016-10

Publications

• Background Burks TN, Andres-Mateos E, Marx R, Mejias R, Van Erp C, Simmers JL, Walston JD, Ward CW, Cohn RD. Losartan restores skeletal muscle remodeling and protects against disuse atrophy in sarcopenia. Sci Transl Med. 2011 May 11;3(82):82ra37. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3002227.
• Background Abadir PM, Foster DB, Crow M, Cooke CA, Rucker JJ, Jain A, Smith BJ, Burks TN, Cohn RD, Fedarko NS, Carey RM, O'Rourke B, Walston JD. Identification and characterization of a functional mitochondrial angiotensin system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Sep 6;108(36):14849-54. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1101507108. Epub 2011 Aug 18.
• Lee JL, Zhang C, Westbrook R, Gabrawy MM, Nidadavolu L, Yang H, Marx R, Wu Y, Anders NM, Ma L, Bichara MD, Kwak MJ, Buta B, Khadeer M, Yenokyan G, Tian J, Xue QL, Siragy HM, Carey RM, de Cabo R, Ferrucci L, Moaddel R, Rudek MA, Le A, Walston JD, Abadir PM. Serum Concentrations of Losartan Metabolites Correlate With Improved Physical Function in a Pilot Study of Prefrail Older Adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2022 Dec 29;77(12):2356-2366. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glac102.

Drugs

Indications