Vol 8, No 1 (2004)
Review paper
Published online: 2004-01-23
The influence of losartan and trandolapril therapy on serum glucose, insulin, homocysteine and von Willebrand factor in mild to moderate essential hypertension
Nadciśnienie tętnicze 2004;8(1):45-51.
Abstract
Background Carbohydrate metabolism disturbances (CM) and endothelial dysfunction (ED) often coexist with essential arterial hypertension (EH).
Material and Methods In order to investigate the effect of AT1-antagonist losartan in a daily dose of 50 mg and ACE-inhibitor trandolapril in a daily dose of 2 mg on CM and ED in untreated EH the following were evaluated in mild to moderate EH patients during fasting: glucose, insulin, total homocysteine, HbA1c, uric acid, von Willebrand Factor (vWF:Ag), HOMA-IR, BMI and WHR and the results compared to those for matched controls. The examination was repeated after 3 months in both the groups treated.
Results A decrease in HbA1c in both groups treated suggests CM correction besides the lowering of blood pressure. There was a decrease in the vWF:Ag level in the losartan group and an increase in the vWF:Ag level in the group treated with trandolapril. This difference in vWF:Ag (known as an ED marker) may be explained by the distinct way in which the drugs under examination influenced the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and by the possible role of kinins, the activity of which is elevated during ACE-inhibitor treatment. The trandolapril group had a higher WHR than the losartan group when compared to controls, which implies the possibility of more severe CM due to increased abdominal adipose tissue deposit. It was also characterised by higher fasting glucose, HbA1c, total homocysteine than the losartan group when compared to controls before treatment.
Conclusions Our data may suggest that mild to moderate EH patients, even when clinically similar, may respond differently to drug treatment, which may be the result of the severity of the metabolic disturbances found in this group at the beginning of treatment.
Material and Methods In order to investigate the effect of AT1-antagonist losartan in a daily dose of 50 mg and ACE-inhibitor trandolapril in a daily dose of 2 mg on CM and ED in untreated EH the following were evaluated in mild to moderate EH patients during fasting: glucose, insulin, total homocysteine, HbA1c, uric acid, von Willebrand Factor (vWF:Ag), HOMA-IR, BMI and WHR and the results compared to those for matched controls. The examination was repeated after 3 months in both the groups treated.
Results A decrease in HbA1c in both groups treated suggests CM correction besides the lowering of blood pressure. There was a decrease in the vWF:Ag level in the losartan group and an increase in the vWF:Ag level in the group treated with trandolapril. This difference in vWF:Ag (known as an ED marker) may be explained by the distinct way in which the drugs under examination influenced the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and by the possible role of kinins, the activity of which is elevated during ACE-inhibitor treatment. The trandolapril group had a higher WHR than the losartan group when compared to controls, which implies the possibility of more severe CM due to increased abdominal adipose tissue deposit. It was also characterised by higher fasting glucose, HbA1c, total homocysteine than the losartan group when compared to controls before treatment.
Conclusions Our data may suggest that mild to moderate EH patients, even when clinically similar, may respond differently to drug treatment, which may be the result of the severity of the metabolic disturbances found in this group at the beginning of treatment.
Keywords: HbA1cessential hypertensionlosartantrandolaprilvon Willebrand Factor