title: Azilsartan as a Potent Antihypertensive Drug with Possible Pleiotropic Cardiometabolic Effects: A Review Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypertension related cardiovascular (CV) complications could be amplified by the presence of metabolic co-morbidities. Azilsartan medoxomil (AZL-M) is the eighth approved member of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), a drug class of high priority in the management of hypertensive subjects with diabetes mellitus type II (DMII).
  
  
  METHODS
  Under this prism, we performed a systematic review of the literature for all relevant articles in order to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and possible clinical role of AZL-M in hypertensive diabetic patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AZL-M was found to be more effective in terms of reducing indices of blood pressure over alternative ARBs or angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors with minimal side effects. Preclinical studies have established pleiotropic effects for AZL-M beyond its primary antihypertensive role through differential gene expression, up-regulation of membrane receptors and favorable effect on selective intracellular biochemical and pro-atherosclerotic pathways.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Indirect but accumulating evidence from recent literature supports the efficacy and safety of AZL-M among diabetic patients. However, no clinical data exist to date that evince a beneficial role of AZL-M in patients with metabolic disorders on top of its antihypertensive effect. Further clinical studies are warranted to assess the pleiotropic cardiometabolic benefits of AZL-M that are derived from preclinical research.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, University of Athens Medical School Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Georgiopoulos
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, University of Athens Medical School Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Katsi
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, University of Athens Medical School Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oikonomou
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, University of Athens Medical School Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vamvakou
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, 'Hippokration' Hospital, University of Athens Medical School Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koutli
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, University of Athens Medical School Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Aggeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laina
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, University of Athens Medical School Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsioufis
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, University of Athens Medical SchoolAthens, Greece; Department of Cardiology, Imperial College London, Hammersmith HospitalLondon, UK.
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nihoyannopoulos
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, University of Athens Medical School Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tousoulis
keywords: azilsartan medoxomil; cardiovascular; diabetes mellitus; hypertension; metabolic; pleiotropic