LONG-TERM THERAPY WITH TERAZOSIN MAY IMPROVE GLUCOSE AND LIPID-METABOLISM IN HYPERTENSIVES - A MULTICENTER PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

The effects of long-term monotherapy with terazosin, an alpha-1 blocke r, on blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and serum lipid profiles were prospectively investigated in 53 hypertensive patients: 19 with norma l glucose tolerance (NGT) and 34 with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) . The plasma glucose, serum lipids, fructosamine, and glycosylated hem oglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) levels were determined before and during long- term (6 months) therapy with terazosin. A 75-g oral glucose tolerance test was performed before and during long-term terazosin therapy. Sign ificant falls in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both pa tient groups were maintained during the long-term therapy with terazos in. Neither fasting nor postglucose-load venous plasma glucose levels were altered in either group of patients, and diabetes mellitus did no t develop in any patient with NGT during the study. There was no signi ficant change in the insulinogenic index (Delta IRI/Delta BS at 30 min utes after glucose load) in either patient group. In patients with IGT , glucose intolerance was slightly improved with significant reduction s in HbA(1c) and fructosamine during terazosin therapy. Serum total ch olesterol (TC) and triglyceride levels were significantly decreased in patients with IGT. In addition, TC and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were significantly decreased in patients with hypercholest erolemia (TC > 220 mg/dL). These results suggest that long-term therap y with terazosin may improve glucose and lipid metabolism in hypertens ive patients and terazosin seems to be an antihypertensive agent with beneficial effects for hypertensive patients with either dyslipidemia or impaired glucose metabolism.