Candesartan effect on inflammation in hypertension

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of candesartan on inflammatory biomarkers in hypertensive patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus after a standardized oral fat load (OFL). A total of 219 patients were enrolled: 106 patients were assigned to the non-diabetic hypertensive (NH) group, and 113 to the diabetic hypertensive (DH) group. All patients received candesartan therapy for 6 months and underwent a standardized OFL at baseline and after 6 months of therapy. We evaluated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), blood glucose (BG), triglycerides (Tg), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C reactive protein (Hs-CRP). At baseline, glycated hemoglobin, homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index, BG, fasting plasma insulin, Tg, sICAM-1, IL-6 and Hs-CRP in the DH group were significantly higher, whereas high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol value was significantly lower compared to NH group. After 6 months of candesartan therapy, sICAM-1, IL-6 and Hs-CRP were significantly lower compared to baseline in both groups; furthermore, there was a significant decrease of SBP and DBP values in both groups. After the OFL administered at baseline, there was an increase of Tg, sICAM-1, IL-6 and Hs-CRP in both groups. After the OFL administered after 6 months of therapy, instead, there was no significant variation of BG, Tg or sICAM-1 value in both groups, whereas there was an increase of IL-6 and Hs-CRP compared to time 0. We observed that candesartan treatment attenuated the inflammatory answer in both groups of patients, even if more efficiently in nondiabetic ones.