Effect of calcium channel blocker amlodipine on the intimal-medial thickness of carotid arterial wall in type 2 diabetes

Although several reports have suggested that calcium channel blockers may i nhibit progression of atherosclerosis in animals, it is still controversial whether they have any clinically significant antiatherogenic action in hum ans. The measurement of intimal-medial thickness (IMT) of the common caroti d artery by B-mode ultrasound technique has been recognized as a powerful a nd noninvasive method to evaluate early atherosclerotic lesions. We investi gated the effect of treatment with amlodipine, a powerful calcium channel b locker, on IMT. Twenty-two hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes were enrolled in a prospective open study. An amlodipine group (amlodipine, 5 mg ; n = 11) and a control group receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhib itors (n = 11) were studied before and 6 months after treatment. Amlodipine treatment caused a significant decrease in IMT compared with control(-0.05 2 +/- 0.017 vs. 0.011 +/- 0.021 mm; p < 0.05). Although the exact mechanism s remain to be elucidated, our preliminary result suggests that amlodipine has an antiatherogenic action in type 2 diabetes.