EFFECT OF AROTINOLOL ON INSULIN SENSITIVITY IN OBESE HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Insulin sensitivity in terms of glucose disposal rate was determined b y using the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp technique in seven obese hypertensive patients and nine normotensive control subjects. The tec hnique was used on all study subjects at baseline and on the hypertens ive patients after 12 weeks of arotinolol treatment. Mean supine systo lic blood pressure decreased from 155 +/- 3 mm Hg before treatment to 133 +/- 6 mm Hg after treatment (P < 0.02), and diastolic blood pressu re decreased from 100 +/- 3 mm Hg before treatment to 86 +/- 3 mm Hg a fter treatment (P < 0.05). The mean dose of arotinolol was 10 mg/d, ex cept for one patient who received 20 mg/d. The glucose disposal rate d uring the last 30 minutes of the glucose clamp procedure was not signi ficantly affected by treatment with arotinolol. Compared with the hype rtensive patients, the glucose disposal rate in the normotensive subje cts was significantly increased, both before and after treatment (P < 0.01). The study results show that the obese hypertensive patients wer e insulin resistant and that treatment with arotinolol did not signifi cantly affect insulin sensitivity.