title: Treatment of systemic hypertension in insulin-treated diabetes mellitus with rilmenidine.
abstract: The effects of a new alpha 2 agonist (S 3341 or rilmenidine) on blood pressure (BP), glycemic control, lipid metabolism and renal function were investigated during a 16-week open study in 29 insulin-treated diabetic patients with mild to moderate hypertension. There were 17 men and 12 women aged 50.9 +/- 2.2 years (mean +/- standard error of the mean). Duration of diabetes and insulin therapy was 218 +/- 24 and 143 +/- 30 months. After 2 weeks of placebo, systolic and diastolic BP was 165 +/- 3 and 97 +/- 0.5 mm Hg, respectively (supine). Rilmenidine (S 3341) given alone at daily doses of 1 or 2 mg according to the clinical response led to a prompt and sustained decrease of systolic and diastolic BP (159 +/- 4 and 88 +/- 1 mm Hg after 2 weeks; 149 +/- 3 and 85 +/- 1 mm Hg after 12 weeks; p less than 0.01). Seventeen patients (59%) had normal BP (systolic BP less than 160; diastolic BP less than 90 mm Hg, supine) after 12 weeks of S 3341. Diuretics were associated with S 3341 for the nonresponders at week 12; this led to normalization of BP in 90% of the patients at the end of the study. Glycemic control was assessed by home glucose monitoring (5 determinations/1 day per week), 24-hour glucosuria and postprandial plasma glucose at the outpatient clinic (n = 7) as well as by the measurement of the glycosylated hemoglobin. None of these parameters was significantly affected by S 3341.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010080:Oxazoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011507:Proteinuria; D000077769:Rilmenidine
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D010080:Oxazoles; D005947:Glucose; D000077769:Rilmenidine