The Role of Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers in the Management of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: An Updated Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

INTRODUCTION The use of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) in the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains a subject of controversy. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive search of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Science databases until October 2023 to identify articles investigating the effects of ARBs in patients diagnosed with HCM. Predefined criteria were utilized for selecting data on study characteristics and results. RESULTS The study included a total of 387 patients from 6 randomized controlled trials, which were reported in 7 articles. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that the utilization of ARBs did not yield a reduction in left ventricular (LV) mass (p = 0.07) and maximum LV wall thickness (p = 0.25), nor did it demonstrate any improvement in LV fibrosis (p = 0.39). Furthermore, there was no significant impact observed on early diastolic mitral annular velocity (p = 0.19) and LV ejection fraction (p = 0.44). CONCLUSIONS The administration of ARBs does not appear to yield improvements in cardiac structure, function, and myocardial fibrosis in patients with HCM.