THE WAYS OF SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM OVERACTIVITY BLOCKING: RILMENIDINE VERSUS ATENOLOL

Aim. To evaluate effects of long-term treatment with rilmenidine compared with atenolol on lipid and glucose metabolism and cardiovascular remodeling in hypertension. Material and methods. 37 patients with hypertension were randomized to rilmenidine 1-2 mg/day or atenolol 50-100 mg/day for 26 weeks. Standard oral glucose tolerance test with a parallel measurement of insulin and glucose levels was performed. The “areas under the curve” (AUC) for insulin and glucose were calculated. Plasma lipids, left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and intima-media thickness (IMT) were measured. Brachial artery diameter during reactive hyperemia was used to test endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (EDVD). Results. Blood pressure reduction was equally achieved in both treatment arms. The fasting glucose level increased in the atenolol group from 4.8±0.6 to 5.2±0.7 mmol/l (p