Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Evaluate Effects of Eplerenone on Metabolic and Inflammatory Indices in HIV

HIV-infected individuals demonstrate increased renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation in association with visceral adiposity, insulin resistance, and inflammation. A physiologically based treatment approach targeting mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) blockade may improve metabolic and inflammatory indices in HIV.

To investigate effects of eplerenone on insulin sensitivity, inflammatory indices, and other metabolic parameters in HIV.

Six-month, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Academic clinical research center.

HIV-infected individuals with increased waist circumference and abnormal glucose homeostasis.

Eplerenone 50 mg or placebo daily.

The primary end point was change in insulin sensitivity measured by the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp technique. Secondary end points included change in body composition and inflammatory markers.

Forty-six individuals were randomized to eplerenone (n = 25) vs placebo (n = 21). Eplerenone did not improve insulin sensitivity [0.48 (-1.28 to 1.48) vs 0.43 (-1.95 to 2.55) mg/min/μIU/mL insulin; P = 0.71, eplerenone vs placebo] when measured by the gold standard euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp technique. Intramyocellular lipids (P = 0.04), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (P = 0.04), and high-density lipoprotein (P = 0.04) improved among those randomized to eplerenone vs placebo. Trends toward decreases in interleukin-6 (P = 0.10) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (P = 0.10) were also seen with eplerenone vs placebo. Plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels increased in the eplerenone vs placebo-treated group, demonstrating expected physiology. MR antagonism with eplerenone was well tolerated among the HIV population, with no considerable changes in blood pressure or potassium.

MR blockade may improve selected metabolic and inflammatory indices in HIV-infected individuals. Further studies are necessary to understand the clinical potential of MR antagonism in HIV.