Ketanserin in the treatment of diabetes-associated hypertension

Ketanserin is a S2-serotonergic receptor antagonist with antihypertensive activity. 24 patients with diabetes mellitus and mild hypertension were studied with a double-blind, placebo-controlled protocol. Ketanserin given in doses up to 80 mg daily caused a slight decrease of supine and upright blood pressure. However, these pressures did not differ significantly from those observed in the placebo group. There were no significant changes in heart rate, bodyweight, plasma concentrations of glucose, C-peptide, glycosylated haemoglobin, plasma total cholesterol and triglycerides, their lipoprotein fractions and the responses of plasma glucose and immunoreactive insulin to an oral glucose loading test. In 8 hypertensive diabetics, ketanserin administered for 8 weeks did not modify plasma angiotensin II and noradrenaline concentrations or the pressor reactivity to phenylephrine, angiotensin II and noradrenaline. Thus, in diabetic patients with arterial hypertension, ketanserin has a weak antihypertensive effect, does not unfavourably influence glucose and lipid metabolism and does not modify sympathetic-dependent regulation.