Conditions: Overweight Obese Prehypertension Hypertension
Keywords: angiotensin II obesity diabetes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 20
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Overweight and obesity, which afflicts \~65% of the U.S. population and more than 1 billion people worldwide, increases the risk of developing hypertension. Activation of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) is an important mechanism by which obesity leads to hypertension. In addition to its vasoconstricting and sodium retaining actions, angiotensin II also has potent pro-inflammatory actions including macrophage infiltration and expression of proinflammatory cytokines in target tissues. Adipose tissue and skeletal muscle appear to be a key sites for the generation of proinflammatory cytokines. Although angiotensin II receptor blockade reduces inflammation in many tissues, the effects on adipose tissue and skeletal muscle in humans are not clear. Importantly, the chronic low grade inflammatory state that accompanies obesity complicates hypertension by contributing to insulin resistance and accelerating cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the general aim of the present proposal will be to determine the influence of angiotensin II receptor blockade on adipose tissue and skeletal muscle inflammation and its relation to improvements in insulin sensitivity, if observed, in obese hypertensive humans. To address these aims, 44 obese (BMI\>30 kg/m2) hypertensive (BP\>140 systolic and/or 90 diastolic) individuals (age=50-65 years) will be randomized to receive 8 weeks of either the angiotensin II receptor antagonist, olmesartan medoxomil, or no treatment in a crossover manner. Subcutaneous adipose tissue and skeletal muscle biopsies will be obtained and insulin sensitivity (intravenous glucose tolerance tests) will be assessed at baseline and following 8 weeks of each intervention. A two week washout period will separate the interventions.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: During the First Intervention (8 weeks), subjects will be provided with daily 20 mg of olmesartan for the first 2 weeks. Subjects receive additional daily doses of 40 mg olmesartan for the remainder of the study period (6 weeks). The dose remains at 20 mg per day, however, if BP falls below 110/70 during the first 2 weeks. In addition, subjects will continue taking the drug during the 2-week follow-up testing period. Subjects will then proceed to the Washout period (2 weeks). During the Second Intervention (8 weeks), no drug will be administered to the subjects. arm 2: During the First Intervention (8 weeks), no drug will be administered to the subjects. Subjects will then proceed to the Washout period (2 weeks). During the Second Intervention (8 weeks), subjects will be provided with daily 20 mg of olmesartan for the first 2 weeks. Subjects then receive daily doses of 40 mg olmesartan for the remainder of the study period (6 weeks). The dose remains at 20 mg per day, however, if BP falls below 110/70 during the first 2 weeks. In addition, subjects will continue taking the drug during the 2-week follow-up testing period.

Interventions: intervention 1: Olmesartan medoxomil
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Crossover intervention comparing antihypertensive medication to no drug intervention.

Protocol document: