Effect of arotinolol on insulin sensitivity in obese hypertensive patients

Insulin sensitivity in terms of glucose disposal rate was determined by using the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp technique in seven obese hypertensive patients and nine normotensive control subjects. The technique was used on all study subjects at baseline and on the hypertensive patients after 12 weeks of arotinolol treatment. Mean supine systolic blood pressure decreased from 155 +/- 3 mm Hg before treatment to 133 +/- 6 mm Hg after treatment (P < 0.02), and diastolic blood pressure decreased from 100 +/- 3 mm Hg before treatment to 86 +/- 3 mm Hg after treatment (P < 0.05). The mean dose of arotinolol was 10 mg/d, except for one patient who received 20 mg/d. The glucose disposal rate during the last 30 minutes of the glucose clamp procedure was not significantly affected by treatment with arotinolol. Compared with the hypertensive patients, the glucose disposal rate in the normotensive subjects was significantly increased, both before and after treatment (P < 0.01). The study results show that the obese hypertensive patients were insulin resistant and that treatment with arotinolol did not significantly affect insulin sensitivity.