Comparison of endothelial function improvement estimated with reactive hyperemia index between ramipril and telmisartan in hypertensive patients

• Published in: Clinical hypertension 2017-02, Vol.23 (1), p.4-4, Article 4
• Main Authors: Ki, You-Jeong, Seo, Jae-Bin, Kim, Hack-Lyoung, Lim, Woo-Hyun, Seo, Hye Yeon, Lee, Jin Yong, Chung, Woo-Young
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Dosage and administration; Health aspects; Ramipril; Telmisartan; Vascular endothelium
• ISSN: 2056-5909; 1342-2154; 2056-5909
• DOI: 10.1186/s40885-016-0060-y

Endothelium has a function to regulate vascular tone by releasing mediators either vasodilating or vasoconstricting blood vessels. Endothelial dysfunction can be measured conveniently by Reactive Hyperemia Index (RHI) with a peripheral arterial tonometry. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II (AT II) receptor blockers (ARBs) are considered to have beneficial effects on endothelium through inhibition of AT II. This study was performed to compare the effect of ACEIs or ARBs on endothelial function estimated by RHI in hypertensive patients. Twenty consecutive patients with hypertension (57.9 ± 11.3 years, 60% men) were assigned to receive treatment with ramipril or telmisartan for eight weeks (  10 per group). Blood pressure (BP) and RHI were measured at baseline and after eight weeks treatment. The two groups were similar in terms of demographic and laboratory characteristics. But baseline systolic BP and pulse pressure (PP) were higher in telmisartan group than ramipril group (systolic BP, 159 ± 6.83 vs 150 ± 7.49,  0.028; PP, 75.0 ± 14.0 vs 60.3 ± 12.4,  0.034). In both groups, systolic and diastolic BP decreased significantly after eight weeks treatment (p