PlainMeds provides educational information only. This is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.

losartan Side Effects

Also known as: Cozaar

Analysis of 165,585 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2001 to 2025.

Total Reports

165,585

Death-Related

12,034

7.3% of reports

Hospitalizations

48,929

29.5% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

FATIGUE
11,852
DIARRHOEA
9,870
NAUSEA
9,207
DRUG INEFFECTIVE
9,195
DYSPNOEA
8,439
DIZZINESS
7,999
HEADACHE
7,815
PAIN
7,325
OFF LABEL USE
7,154
ARTHRALGIA
6,302
MALAISE
5,919
ASTHENIA
5,867
COUGH
5,353
FALL
5,234
VOMITING
5,173
PRURITUS
4,829
PAIN IN EXTREMITY
4,738
DEATH
4,674
HYPERTENSION
4,652
RASH
4,555

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 92,090 (60%)
Male 61,269 (40%)
Unknown 132

Age Distribution

0-17 811 (1%)
18-44 6,341 (6%)
45-64 37,385 (34%)
65-74 34,185 (31%)
75+ 32,356 (29%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2001 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 12,034 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 4,651
COMPLETED SUICIDE 908
PNEUMONIA 655
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 531
DYSPNOEA 510
RENAL FAILURE 445
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE 435
CARDIAC ARREST 431
OFF LABEL USE 411
FATIGUE 410
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 409
CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST 403
ASTHENIA 377
FALL 375
DIARRHOEA 355
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 354
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 344
SEPSIS 322
NAUSEA 301
VOMITING 288

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 48,929 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DYSPNOEA 3,495
PNEUMONIA 3,299
DIARRHOEA 3,116
FATIGUE 3,042
FALL 2,861
NAUSEA 2,719
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 2,518
ASTHENIA 2,440
VOMITING 2,358
DIZZINESS 2,319
PAIN 2,222
MALAISE 2,135
HEADACHE 2,083
WEIGHT DECREASED 1,813
OFF LABEL USE 1,796
HYPERTENSION 1,793
PYREXIA 1,779
URINARY TRACT INFECTION 1,778
HYPOTENSION 1,731
ARTHRALGIA 1,596

Nearby — Related Medications

Compare losartan vs acebutolol →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About losartan Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 165,585 voluntary reports linked to losartan and its brand equivalents (Cozaar), spanning 2001 through 2025. Of those, 12,034 (7.3%) listed death as an outcome and 48,929 (29.5%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 60% were female and 40% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 37,385 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is fatigue with 11,852 submissions, followed by diarrhoea and nausea.

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.