Issue 133 Item 10 Long-Acting Nifedipine Formulation Improves Insulin Sensitivit

Japanese researchers report, that in patients with hypertension, Controlled-release nifedipine (nifedipine-CR) is associated with improved insulin sensitivity. >Dr. Yoko Koyama from the National Cardiology Center, Osaka, and colleagues evaluated insulin sensitivity in hypertensive patients before and after treatment with either nifedipine-CR or metoprolol.

Among the 10 patients treated with nifedipine-CR, steady-state plasma glucose was high at baseline but was significantly reduced after treatment from an average of 133 mg/dL to 95 mg/dL, the researchers report in the November issue of the American Journal of Hypertension.

For the nine patients who were given metoprolol, there was not a significant difference in average steady-state plasma glucose before and after therapy (103 mg/dL versus 119 mg/dL), Dr. Koyama’s team found.

Dr. Koyama and colleagues conclude that "treatment with long-acting nifedipine improved insulin sensitivity for glucose metabolism as indicated by decreased steady-state plasma glucose, whereas metoprolol did not alter insulin sensitivity in essential hypertension."

Am J Hypertens 2002;15:927-931.