THE EFFICACY OF TELMISARTAN IN THE METABOLIC SYNDROME
The Metabolic Syndrome is a clinical condition characterized by the presence of multiple cardiovascular risk factors in the same subject, and particularly, hypertension and insulin resistance.
Telmisartan is an antihypertensive agent with partial activity on peroxisome proliferator-activated gamma receptor (PPAR-y) and is able to improve insulin sensitivity and lipid profile in patients with Metabolic Syndrome. A study of the metabolic effect of telmisartan and losartan in patients with hypertension associated with Metabolic Syndrome has been carried out.
In this randomized and double blind study, patients with Metabolic Syndrome were treated with a daily dose of telmisartan (80 mg) or Losartan (50 mg) for a period of 3 months.
Patients were treated in groups of twenty: at the beginning and at the end of their treatment, fasting and post-prandial plasma glucose, sensitivity to insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, and median systolic and diastolic blood pressure over 24 hours were measured.
Unlike losartan, telmisartan has been shown capable of significantly reducing (p less than 0.05), plasma glucose values, insulin resistance as well as glycosylated hemoglobin; results on lowering blood pressure were also superior with telmisartan.
In conclusion, this study has confirmed and corroborated the capacity of telmisartan to not only control the average blood pressure over 24 hours, but also to be capable of insulin-sensitizer activity, which can be explained by its partial activity on PPAR-y.
REFERENCES:
Cardiovascular Diabetology May 2005, 4:6
Metabolic effect of telmisartan and losartan in hypertensive patients with Metabolic Syndrome
Vitale, Mercury, Castiglioni, Cornoldi Tullio, Fini Volterrani and Rosano
Luca Gabriele Punziano
General Practitioner Specializing in Preventive Medicine and Hygiene, Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy