1. Effect of the calcium antagonist nicardipine hydrochloride on glucose tolerance and insulin secretion
- Author
-
Kihara, Akira
- Subjects
Calcium channel blockers -- Adverse and side effects ,Nicardipine -- Evaluation ,Blood sugar ,Insulin ,Health - Abstract
Insulin-dependent (type I) and non-insulin dependent (type II) diabetes mellitus are metabolic diseases characterized by a disturbance of carbohydrate (sugar) metabolism in which blood levels of glucose (a simple carbohydrate) rise beyond acceptable levels. Patients with diabetes are frequently afflicted with hypertension (high blood pressure); unfortunately, the antihypertensive drugs used to treat high blood pressure often exacerbate the already-disordered glucose metabolism. A class of drugs known as calcium channel blockers, typified by nicardipine, offer a safe, effective therapy for reducing blood pressure with a minimum of side effects. To determine the effects of nicardipine on glucose metabolism and insulin secretion, a study was carried out involving 42 healthy subjects (19 men and 23 women between the ages of 37 and 81 years). Nicardipine was administered at one of two normal therapeutic doses for an average of 7.8 weeks, and glucose metabolism and other metabolic parameters were measured at the end of that period. As would be expected, blood pressure decreased over the course of treatment. Glucose tolerance (the ability of the body to metabolize glucose; primarily an index of pancreatic insulin secretion) and insulin levels were not changed by nicardipine treatment, regardless of the initial level of glucose tolerance. Concentration of triglycerides (fats) in the blood decreased, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, the so-called ''good'' cholesterol) increased. These results demonstrate that nicardipine reduced hypertension and had beneficial effects on levels of triglycerides and HDL without adversely affecting glucose metabolism or insulin secretion. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
- Published
- 1991