title: The effect of losartan and amlodipine on serum adiponectin in Japanese adults with essential hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived protein, is reduced in patients with hypertension and insulin resistance (IR). Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) have been reported to improve IR and reduce albuminuria. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of an ARB and a calcium channel blocker on serum adiponectin levels in Japanese patients with hypertension who were treated with losartan or amlodipine for 3 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with essential hypertension (EHT) were randomized to treatment prospectively with losartan (50-100 mg/d) or amlodipine (5-10 mg/d) for 3 months. Patients with renal damage and/or macroproteinuria were excluded. The urine albumin/creatinine ratio, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index, adiponectin concentration, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) concentration of each patient were evaluated before and after 3 months of treatment. When the HOMA index exceeded 1.73, a patient was considered to have IR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 40 participants completed both 3-month treatment periods. Study patients were primarily male (52.5%) with a mean (SD) age of 63.8 (10.6) years and a mean body weight of 60.7 (10.8) kg. Patients with EHT and diabetes mellitus (n = 9) and IR (n = 12) had significantly lower adiponectin concentrations than patients who had EHT without diabetes or IR (n = 19; mean [SD], 7.84 [5.54] vs 12.81 [7.36] microg/mL, P = 0.034; and 6.12 [3.04] vs 12.81 [7.36] microg/mL, P = 0.004, respectively). Adiponectin concentrations correlated negatively with body mass index (r = -0.393; P = 0.012) and HOMA index (r = -0.440; P = 0.005) and positively with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.441; P = 0.004) before treatment. Systolic blood pressure was significantly decreased in patients treated with losartan (n = 20; mean [SD], 166 [19] to 140 [15] mm Hg; P < 0.001) or amlodipine (n = 20; 164 [15] to 136 [15] mmHg; P < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure also was significantly decreased with losartan (93 [14] to 83 [10] mm Hg; P = 0.031) or amlodipine (96 [12] to 82 [10] mm Hg; P < 0.001). Losartan increased adiponectin concentrations (9.56 [6.75] to 10.36 [6.94] microg/mL; P = 0.038), whereas amlodipine had no significant effect (9.67 [6.62] to 10.01 [6.79] microg/mL). The difference in TNF-alpha concentration before and after treatment with losartan and amlodipine did not reach statistical significance (mean [SD], 15.2 [1.4] to 14.8 [1.5] pg/mL; and 14.3 [1.4] to 14.5 [1.7] pg/mL, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, Japanese adults with EHT had significant increases in adiponectin after 3 months of treatment with 50 to 100 mg/d of losartan, but not with 5 to 10 mg/d of amlodipine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Medicine and Informatics, Ehime Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Sanae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okura
authors.forename: Mie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurata
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Irita
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manabe
authors.forename: Ken-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.forename: Tomikazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuoka
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Jitsuo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Higaki
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017311:Amlodipine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000097:blood*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019808:Losartan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D017311:Amlodipine; D019808:Losartan