{"id":630869,"date":"2024-12-31T15:58:05","date_gmt":"2024-12-31T20:58:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=630869"},"modified":"2024-12-31T15:58:05","modified_gmt":"2024-12-31T20:58:05","slug":"does-losartan-cause-hair-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/does-losartan-cause-hair-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Does losartan cause hair loss?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Losartan<\/span><\/a> is a generic medication used to treat a variety of conditions. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetic nephropathy. It also has several off-label uses (uses not approved by the FDA), such as treating heart failure. Although many people with hypertension take medications like losartan, which is available as brand-name Cozaar, they do come with some common side effects, namely headache, dizziness, and upset stomach. But there have been some unexpected reports of hair loss on losartan, even though this isn\u2019t a typical side effect of the drug, and experts are still working to understand if or how it might be related. Here\u2019s what to know if you\u2019re taking losartan and experiencing hair loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How does losartan work?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Losartan<\/span><\/a> belongs to a class of medications called <\/span>angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)<\/span><\/a>. These medications work by blocking the effects of the angiotensin II hormone and preventing the hormone from sending your body the message to increase blood pressure and blood volume. As a result, the blood vessels relax, remain open, and allow blood to flow more easily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Losartan starts to work within the first week of treatment for many patients, but some people may not see results for up to six weeks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s the connection between losartan and hair loss?<\/span><\/h2>\n

At the moment, there isn\u2019t much of a connection between losartan and hair loss. According to <\/span>University of Missouri Health Care cardiologist <\/span>Brian Bostick<\/span><\/a>, MD, there have only been a few reports in scientific literature of hair loss with losartan. Furthermore, researchers can\u2019t find any mechanism for why losartan would cause hair loss, so the findings in these rare reports are confusing even to the experts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Experts speculate that the cause of losartan hair loss may actually be its affiliation with other blood pressure medications. <\/span>Joanna Lewis<\/span><\/a>, Pharm.D.<\/span>, founder of The Pharmacist\u2019s Guide, says hair loss has been found in some case reports of people taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Dr. Bostick notes this as well, pointing out that losartan and lisinopril (an ACE inhibitor) both affect the angiotensin hormones, and lisinopril has been reported to cause hair loss in rare cases, such as <\/span>a 2017 case study in the <\/span>Journal of Pharmacy Practice<\/span><\/i><\/a>. However, in that same case study, the singular patient experiencing hair loss while taking lisinopril was switched to losartan, and the hair loss stopped after four weeks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/span>Losartan vs. lisinopril<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Other blood pressure medications taken in combination with losartan could also contribute to hair loss. Some <\/span>research suggests<\/span><\/a> that it may be beneficial to take more than one type of hypertension medication to lower your blood pressure, and Dr. Bostick says the common class of hypertension drugs called <\/span>beta blockers<\/span><\/a> could be the source of hair loss instead. Beta blockers like metoprolol and propranolol slow down the heart rate and make your heart beat less forcefully. However, they have been found in scientific literature to potentially cause hair loss because of their <\/span>damaging effects on hair follicles<\/span><\/a>. If you\u2019re taking losartan and another blood pressure medication, it could actually be the other drug instead of the losartan causing your hair loss.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other losartan side effects<\/span><\/h2>\n

Losartan has many of the same <\/span>side effects<\/span><\/a> as other blood pressure medications, including:<\/span><\/p>\n