[Theoretical background of angiotensin II receptor blockade and its features in clinical pharmacology]

The angiotensin (II) receptor (1) blockers are known first of all as antihypertensive drugs, however, due to the role of the tissue renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in different pathological conditions, their clinical importance became more pronounced and are at present more widely used. The article gives an overview of the recent knowledge in this field. Beside of summarizing physiological and the most important pathophysiological aspects of the RAS, as well as pharmacokinetic properties of the different angiotensin receptor blocker drugs used at present in Hungary, the potential differences in blocking of the converting enzyme and the angiotensin II receptors are also reviewed.