subject: Blood pressure drug could help weight loss [print this page] Blood pressure drug could help weight loss
Drugs used t treat high blood pressure ld hl t weight nd reduce th risk f diabetes t.
B th drugs r already n routine th ld b used t treat obese patients within a few years, f follow up work confirms today's discovery.
A team frm Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute considered mice tht lacked angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), n enzyme tht blocked b blood pressure drugs, nd found tht th resulting mice weighed 20 per cent less nd hd 50-60 per cent less body tt, particularly n th abdomen, compared t normal mice.
Th enzyme-deficient mice wr n more active thn normal mice nd dd nt eat less, indicating thr lower body tt resulted frm a higher metabolism, th report n th Proceedings f th National Academy f Sciences.
Subsequent experiments inveterate tht th mice hd a higher rate f metabolism whn resting nd gained less tt th aged, indicating thr higher metabolism w sustained throughout life.
Th deficient mice l cleared glucose qkr thn normal mice, suggesting a lower susceptibility t diabetes.
Wht remarkable tht "ACE inhibitor" nd "Angiotensin Receptor Blocker" drugs r already widely available t treat hypertension.
Dr Michael Mathai f th Florey : "Th a significant discovery".
"Or results hw tht mice wth a deficiency n angiotensin h n increase n metabolic rate compared t normal mice, whh w attribute t increased burning f tt b th liver.
"Sn th intake f food w nt altered, th meant tht thr wr less excess calories t b stored tt, thereby reducing tt mass nd body weight. W l hwd tht glucose tolerance w improved n th mice, whh vital n th prevention f diabetes."
Drugs tht block th same hormone (angiotensin) tht w targeted n th study r prescribed currently fr th treatment f hypertension.
"ACE inhibitor nd Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB) drugs r already widely available t treat hypertension nd h bn found t h th same effect n tt nd glucose metabolism, bt many people using th drugs m nt h noticed n significant weight loss b thr lean body mass ld h increased," h , a reference t hw treated animals hw n increase f muscle mass whh ld offset th reduction n tt mass.
"It possible tht th ACE inhibitor nd ARB drugs ld b adapted t become specific weight loss drugs t m b a qtn f th rght measured quantity," h .
"Bt, such a weight loss drug wld need t b accompanied b a healthful diet nd lifestyle t achieve nd maintain weight loss, nd t reduce th likelihood f developing diabetes," h stresses
"Two things need t b done t determine f th antihypertensive drugs wll l b helpful fr selective reduction f tt mass nd weight loss n humans.
"At th outset, w need t establish f th effect n metabolic rate directly b inhibiting th action f angiotensin n liver nd tt, r whether t n indirect effect mediated b blocking th action f angiotensin n th brain.
"Secondly, w wll th information frm th first study t predict whh drugs nd wht measured quantity hld b tested fr efficacy n tt reduction nd weight loss n humans. Fr example, f w find tht th effect primarily involves blockade f brain angiotensin, thn w n select drugs whh cross th blood-brain barrier, whh ftn a property f drugs n th class f medications.
"Thr already a hnt amount f interest n investigating th f th drugs n th prevention f diabetes," h adds.
"I anticipate tht th assessment f th drugs fr efficacy n th treatment f obesity nd associated disorders such diabetes wll take several years. Th wld b best used n combination wth diet nd exercise t ensure tht th benefit derived frm increased metabolic rate nd burning f calories nt cancelled out b n increase n calories ingested n food."
Th study w conducted b researchers frm th Howard Florey Institute, Victoria University, La Trobe University, Deakin University, Baker Institute nd th University f Melbourne. Th mouse colony w established wth mice originally provided b Pierre Meneton f th Institut National de la Sant et de la Recherche Mdicale, Paris.
