Protective Effect of Telmisartan Against Endothelial Dysfunction After Coronary Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation in Hypertensive Patients

Objectives The aim of this prospective, randomized study was to evaluate the effects of telmisartan, compared with the calcium-channel blocker amlodipine, on endothelial function after coronary drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in hypertensive patients. Background DES implantation impairs local endothelial function, which may be associated with future cardiovascular events. Telmisartan, which has unique peroxisome proliferator-activated-receptor-gamma–mediated effects in addition to its renin-angiotensin system–inhibition effects, has favorable effects on endothelial function. Methods Fifty-one hypertensive patients with coronary artery stenosis but without coronary artery spasm, treated with a sirolimus-eluting stent, were randomly assigned to either the telmisartan (25 cases) or amlodipine (26 cases) treatment groups. At baseline and at 3 months after DES implantation, endothelium-dependent and -independent vasomotion were evaluated by quantitative coronary angiography under the condition of medication withdrawal. The mean luminal diameter of a 20-mm coronary segment, beginning 5 mm distal to the stent, was measured before and after infusion of intracoronary acetylcholine (10−7 , 10−6 mol/l) and then again after infusion of nitroglycerin. Results Blood pressure was comparable between groups at baseline and after 3 months. Vasoconstriction after acetylcholine infusion at 3 months (impaired endothelial function) was less pronounced in the telmisartan group than in the amlodipine group (p < 0.0001), although there was no significant difference between the 2 groups before DES implantation. The response to nitroglycerin did not differ between groups before or at 3 months after DES implantation. Conclusions Telmisartan, compared with amlodipine, significantly ameliorated endothelial dysfunction after DES implantation in terms of vasoconstriction induced by acetylcholine.