What Factors Affect Cozaar® Dosage?

Cozaar® is a form of the medication losartan, which treats hypertension, or high blood pressure, by opening up blood vessels. It has other uses too, such as treating diabetic nephropathy, which is a form of kidney damage. The Cozaar® dosage appropriate for a given person is usually related to the condition it is being taken to treat. Other factors could influence the dosing of this medication, such as the age and weight of the person taking it.

Adults and children may take this drug for high blood pressure, although at different doses. The usual adult dose for hypertension is 50 milligrams (mg) per day. Over several weeks, the Cozaar® dosage may be adjusted in either direction, so that the long-term dose can be between 25 mg to 100 mg per day. Depending on the circumstances, an individual may take this dose all at once, or split into two doses.

Children taking this medication for hypertension take a Cozaar® dosage based on body weight. Typically, this dose is around 0.7 mg for every 1 kilogram (kg), or 2.2 pounds (lb), of body weight. Initial doses for children usually do not exceed 50 mg, however. This dose may be altered after several weeks, based on how the child responds to it, but doses over 1.4 mg per 1 kg, or 2.2 lb, are not recommended; neither are doses over 100 mg total.

Individuals with kidney problems taking this medication for diabetic nephropathy usually take a Cozaar® dosage of 50 mg daily. This dose is flexible, however, and can be adjusted. Adjusting this dose must not only consider how the individual's kidneys respond, but also how their blood pressure changes from the dose taken. Doctors often recommend that this dose is increased to 100 mg per day, as long as there are no major changes in blood pressure.

The change in heart muscle thickness known as left ventricular hypertrophy is sometimes treated with this drug. Taking medication for this condition usually requires a Cozaar® dosage of 50 mg just once a day. Many times, another drug, hydrochlorothiazide is taken at 12.5 mg daily with the Cozaar®. Over the course of several weeks, the doses of Cozaar® and hydrochlorothiazide are increased to 100 mg and 25 mg, respectively. Like other dosage increases with this medication, they are subject to whether the individual's blood pressure would not decrease to dangerous levels if more of the drug is taken.