Efficacy of Candesartan on Reducing Blood Pressure in Insulin-Resistant, Obese Patients With Hypertension.

Abdominal obesity is a major risk factor for insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes. It is associated with sodium retention, left ventricular hypertrophy and elevated markers of inflammation and is an important predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin angiotensin aldosterone system are both involved in the development of hypertension in obese individuals. Hypertension in obese individuals is often associated with dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinaemia and impaired glucose tolerance. In order to decrease the cardiovascular risk of obese hypertensive patients, therapy should not only be directed to lowering blood pressure values but also to improvement of their metabolic situation. As it is possible that antihypertensive treatment based on an angiotensin receptor antagonist (like candesartan) might be superior to beta-blocker or calcium channel blocker therapy in preventing diabetes, a combination of candesartan with already existing insufficiently effective beta-blocker or calcium channel blocker therapy will be used in this study.