Irbesartan significantly reduced radial artery wall thickness compared to placebo (-10.51% vs 6.18% change from baseline) in subjects with essential hypertension.
RCT
Double-blind
Does irbesartan reduce arterial hypertrophy and improve arterial structure/function in subjects with essential hypertension?
An 8-week treatment with irbesartan significantly reduced radial but not carotid artery wall thickness in hypertensive patients, independent of blood pressure reduction.
Absolute Event Rate: -10.51% vs 6.18%
Converting-enzyme inhibition reduces cardiovascular hypertrophy in hypertensive subjects. Whether the blockade of angiotensin II type 1 (AT(1)) receptors reduces arterial hypertrophy has never been investigated. In a double-blind study versus placebo in subjects with essential hypertension, the effect of the AT(1) blocker irbesartan (150 mg/day for 8 weeks) on blood pressure, wall thickness, diameter and stiffness of the common carotid and radial arteries was studied, using echotracking techniques of high resolution. With irbesartan, mean blood pressure decreased significantly and proportionally to the baseline levels of active renin, and angiotensin I and II. There was a significant decrease in radial artery wall thickness. The percent change from baseline (+/- SEM) was -10.51 +/- 3.42 versus 6.18 +/- 4.77. There was no significant change in diameter or distensibility. This effect was correlated neither to blood pressure changes nor to hormonal baseline levels of the renin-angiotensin system. Carotid wall thickness and diameter were unchanged. Thus a 2-month treatment with an AT(1) antagonist significantly reduced radial but not carotid artery wall thickness. Blood pressure reduction could be explained on the basis of circulating renin-angiotensin activity. On the contrary, radial artery wall thickness reduction was independent of the baseline circulating renin-angiotensin activity and was not correlated with the effects of AT(1) blockade on blood pressure, thus implying the involvement of local hemodynamic and/or cellular mechanisms.
Bénétos et al. (Sat,) conducted a rct in Essential hypertension. Irbesartan vs. Placebo was evaluated on Percent change from baseline in radial artery wall thickness. Irbesartan significantly reduced radial artery wall thickness compared to placebo (-10.51% vs 6.18% change from baseline) in subjects with essential hypertension.