Effects on heart rate variability of metoprolol supplementary to ongoing ACE-inhibitor treatment in Type I diabetic patients with abnormal albuminuria.
OBJECTIVE
Diabetic nephropathy is associated with a high risk of cardiac mortality including sudden death. This is presumably related to an imbalance between sympathetic and parasympathetic tone resulting in a decreased heart rate variability (HRV). In non-diabetic patients a decreased HRV is known to be a strong predictor of cardiovascular death. Studies in non-diabetic patients have shown that beta-blockers improve HRV parameters known to reflect parasympathetic function. The aim of our study was to investigate effects of additional beta-blocker treatment on: cardiac autonomic function, blood pressure, and urine albumin excretion in ACE-inhibitor treated Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus patients with abnormal albuminuria.


METHODS
We studied the effects of 6 weeks treatment with metoprolol (100 mg once daily, zero order kinetics formulation) in 20 patients participating in a randomised, placebo controlled, double blind, crossover trial. Patients were simultaneously monitored under ambulatory conditions with 24-h Holter-monitoring, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure recording, and 24-h fractionated urine collections. Heart rate variability was assessed by four different methods; ambulatory HRV analysis was carried out by spectral and time domain analysis, and on days of investigation short-term spectral analysis and bed-side tests were carried out.


RESULTS
Metoprolol treatment improved in vagal tone assessed by short-term spectral analysis. The 24-h ambulatory HRV analysis showed improvement in some parameters reflecting vagal function. A minor decrease in daytime diastolic blood pressure was shown, no alterations in diurnal variation of blood pressure or urine albumin excretion were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary findings indicate that beta-blocker treatment could improve autonomic function in Type I diabetic patients with abnormal albuminuria and an associated high risk of cardiovascular disease.
Ebbehøj
E
E
Medical Department M, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Kommunehospitalet, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. e.ebbehoj@dadlnet.dk
Poulsen
P L
PL
Hansen
K W
KW
Knudsen
S T
ST
Mølgaard
H
H
Mogensen
C E
CE
D000293:Adolescent; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000652:urine*; D003971:Diastole / Q000187:drug effects; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011187:Posture; D016683:Supine Position; D013599:Systole / Q000187:drug effects
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D004232:Diuretics; D008790:Metoprolol