Popular blood pressure drugs could hold the key to weight loss

Apr 29 2008

A study by Australian scientists has indicated that some of the most commonly used blood pressure medications could help people lose weight and body fat and reduce the likelihood of them developing diabetes.

According to an animal study conducted by researchers at Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute the blood pressure drugs which are angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) could possibly be adapted to become specific weight loss drugs.

Such blood pressure drugs help control blood pressure and reduce fluid buildup in the body via the renin-angiotensin system which is suspected of having a role in the accumulation of body fat and obesity.

The scientists used mice that did not have the ACE enzyme and found that they weighed 20 per cent less and also had 50-60 per cent less body fat compared to normal mice.

This was particularly so in the abdominal area and this was despite the fact that the mice were no more active than normal mice and did not eat less.

Dr. Michael Mathai and colleagues say this suggests their lower body fat resulted from a higher metabolism.

The research team found that the ACE-deficient mice not only broke down fats faster in the liver, they processed blood sugars more quickly than the other mice, and this made them less likely to develop diabetes.

Dr. Michael Mathai says their research confirms the important role that the renin-angiotensin system plays in fat metabolism.

Dr Mathai says it is possible that the ACE inhibitor and ARB drugs could be adapted to become specific weight loss drugs but such a drug would need to be used along with a healthy diet and lifestyle to achieve and maintain weight loss, and to reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes.

Dr. Mathai says the next step is to find out if the brain is responsible for increasing metabolism, or whether it is from a direct effect on the main body organs involved in fat metabolism.

Extra and excessive weight, especially around the middle, is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.