Researchers assessed 5,010 heart failure patients who were given either 160 mg of angiotensin-receptor blocker valsartan or a placebo twice daily. The primary outcomes studied were death rates and a combined measure of death and morbidity, such as incidents of cardiac arrest, heart failure hospitalizations, or receipt of specific heart treatments. The results showed that mortality was about the same in both groups. However, the combined death and morbidity rate was 13.2% lower in the valsartan group than the placebo group. Researchers concluded valsartan can reduce mortality and morbidity in heart failure patients and improve their clinical condition when added to their usual treatment. However, there are concerns about the safety of combining valsartan, an ACE inhibitor, and a beta-blocker.

Reference: Cohn JN, Tognoni G; Valsartan Heart Failure Trial Investigators. A randomized trial of the angiotensin-receptor blocker valsartan in chronic heart failure. N Engl J Med. 2001 Dec 6;345(23):1667-75. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa010713. PMID: 11759645.