Attenuation of experimental hypertension with agents that increase insulin sensitivity

Both in the human and in several experimental models, hypertension is associated with insulin resistance. Thiazolidinedione derivatives are a novel group of oral hypoglycemic agents that increase insulin sensitivity without stimulating endogenous insulin secretion. These agents have been shown to attenuate the development of hypertension in the following experimental rat models: the Dahl salt‐sensitive rat, the one‐kidney, one‐clip hypertensive rat, the obese Zucker rat, and blood pressure increases in rats fed high carbohydrate or high fat diets. Clofibrate, a lipid lowering agent that also increases insulin sensitivity, also prevents the development of hypertension in Dahl salt sensitive rats. Additional studies will be required to determine if attenuation of hypertension by these agents is specifically related to their capacity to increase insulin sensitivity.