Effect of Eplerenone on Insulin Action in Essential Hypertension: a Randomised, Controlled, Crossover Study

An association exists between hyperaldosteronism, hypertension and impaired insulin action. Eplerenone is a selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist; however, little is known about its effects on insulin action. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of eplerenone on insulin action in hypertensive adults, using the hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp. A randomised, controlled, double-blind, crossover design was employed. After a 6-week washout period, hypertensive, non-diabetic patients were treated with either eplerenone 25 mg twice daily or doxazosin 2 mg twice daily for 12 weeks. After each treatment period, insulin action was assessed by a hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp, with isotope dilution methodology. After washout, treatment groups were crossed over. Fifteen patients completed the study. There were no differences in fasting glucose, or fasting insulin between treatment with eplerenone or doxazosin. The measure of overall insulin sensitivity, exogenous glucose infusion rates during the last 30 min of the clamp, was similar with both treatments; 23.4 (3.9) μmol kg(-1) min(-1) after eplerenone and 23.3 (3.6) μmol kg(-1) min(-1) after doxazosin (P=0.83). Isotopically determined fasting endogenous glucose production rates were similar after both treatments (eplerenone 9.4 (0.6) μmol kg(-1) min(-1) vs doxazosin 10.6 (0.7) μmol kg(-1) min(-1)). There was a trend for lower endogenous glucose production rates during hyperinsulinaemia following eplerenone compared with doxazosin (2.0 (0.8) μmol kg(-1) min(-1) vs 4.1 (0.9) μmol kg(-1) min(-1)). There was no difference in insulin stimulated peripheral glucose utilisation rates after treatment with eplerenone or doxazosin (25.4 (3.6) μmol kg(-1) min(-1) vs 27.0 (3.9) μmol kg(-1) min(-1)). This study gives reassuring evidence of the neutral effect of eplerenone on insulin action in hypertensive, non-diabetic patients.