Efficacy of Candesartan on Brain Natriuretic Peptide Levels in Subjects With Chronic Heart Failure

Inclusion Criteria: * Females of childbearing potential who are sexually active must agree to use adequate contraception, and can neither be pregnant nor lactating from Screening throughout the duration of the study. * Stable, symptomatic New York Heart Association II-IV Chronic Heart Failure with Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction less than or greater than or greater than or equal to 40% treated with standard therapy including Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-inhibitors and/or beta-blockers. Patients with Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction greater than or equal to 40% had to be hospitalized for cardiovascular events during the past 12 months. Exclusion Criteria: * History of prior treatment with Angiotensin-Receptor Blockers within two weeks from first. * Severe or malignant hypertension (Systolic Blood Pressure / Diastolic Blood Pressure greater than 180/110 mmHg). * Symptomatic hypotension. * Acute myocardial infarction within one month from first visit. * Stroke or transient ischemic attack within one month from first visit. * Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or coronary artery by-pass graft within one month from first visit. * Hemodynamically relevant arrhythmias. * Implant of pacemakers, cardiac resynchronization therapy or cardioverters within 6 months prior the randomization. * Hemodynamically relevant cardiac valvular defect. * Constrictive pericarditis or active myocarditis. * Likelihood of cardiac surgical intervention (of any type) during the overall treatment period. * Evidence of angina pectoris in the previous month. * Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (glycemia greater than 140mg/mL or glycosylated hemoglobin greater than 8% obtained within three months from the study initiation). * Untreated thyroid dysfunction. * Renal artery stenosis. * Angioedema of any etiology. * Significant liver (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin or alkaline phosphatase greater than twice the upper limit of normal range) or renal (serum creatinine greater than 2.0 mg/dL or serum potassium greater than 5.0 mmol/L) impairment. * Anemia of any etiology (defined as hemoglobin levels less than 10.5 g/dL) or any other clinically relevant hematological disease. * Any disease with malabsorption. * Presence of any non-cardiac (e.g. cancer) disease that is likely to significantly (i.e. below 1 year from randomization) shorten life expectancy. * History of chronic alcohol or drug/substance abuse, or presence of other conditions potentially able to affect study subjects' compliance. * Known allergy, sensitivity or intolerance to study drugs and/or study drugs' formulation ingredients. * Participation in another trial in the month preceding study entry.