Effects of Labetalol on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism

Abstract

Summary Ten patients aged 20–57 years, with essential hypertension were treated with oral Labetalol at increasing doses (300 mg/day during the first month and 600/1200 mg/day during the following 3 months). Eight of them, moderately overweight, exhibited, before the treatment, a normal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), while two showed a chemical diabetes. Before and after four months of treatment the following parameters were measured: Total serum Cholesterol (TC) and Triglycerides (TG), the TC/TG ratio in the very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) fraction and plasma glucose and insulin during a 3 hoursOGTT. The following results were obtained: u - A sustained hypotensive effect was achieved in all the patients. - Total serum TC and TG remained unchanged after Labetalol treatment, while the VIDL-TC/TG ratio significantly decreased, suggesting the appearance of TG-rich-particles. - A significant increase in fasting blood glucose was observed after Labetalol treatment while during the OGTT plasma insulin was significantly reduced at 120′ and 180′ min. - In 3 out 8 patients a chemical diabetes appeared after 4 months of treatment, without any significant change in the insulin levels and in the body weight. - In one of the two patients showing a chemical diabetes, an improvement of the OGTT was observed after the Labetalol treatment.