P-52: Effects of moxonidine on sympathetic activity, and metabolic and hemodynamic variables in obese hypertensive patients

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of an imidazoline agonist, Moxonidine, on sympathetic nervous activity and components of the insulin resistance syndrome in obese hypertensive Brazilian patients. Forty obese hypertensive, non diabetic patients were randomized to receive during 6 months Moxonidine (M), 0.2mg/day adjusted to 0.4 mg/day [3 males, 16 females, age = 50.3±1.9 yrs, BMI=35.4±1.7, mean blood pressure (MBP)=128±1.3 mmHg] or Amlodipine (AM) 5mg adjusted to 10 mg/day (4 males, 17 females, age 46.9±2.1 yrs, BMI = 35.9±1.4; MBP 122.7±1.7 mmHg). We evaluated the sympathetic activity by determination of arterial and venous cathecolamines (the last at supine and post-exercise othostatic position), serum insulin (fasting and 2h post oral glucose challenge), fasting leptin, lipid profile and anthropometrical variables. All these variables were measured before (V1), after 3 months (V2) and 6 months (V3) of treatment with both agents. Analysis of variance was used to evaluate the effects of both treatments. The following are results obtained at V1 and V3: A significant reduction on levels of blood pressure was achieved equally in both groups (MBP: 121.8±1.3 vs 107.1±2.0 mmHg for M and 158.1±3.1 vs 134.2±1.7 mmHg for A; all p