Comparison of Effects of Telmisartan and Valsartan on Neointima Volume in Diabetes

People with diabetes mellitus are more prone to coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease, and diabetes mellitus has been regarded as an independent risk factor for the progression of coronary artery disease. Several studies have been reported that diabetes increased the risk of cardiovascular mortality in both men and women. With the introduction of drug-eluting stents (DESs), the angiographic rates of restenosis at later months have reduced dramatically in several studies. However, even with DESs, diabetic patients showed increased rates of restenosis and late loss index compared with nondiabetic patients. Diabetes has been considered to be a predictor of poor prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents. Long-term clinical and angiographic outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-metal stents (DESs) have been demonstrated to be worse in diabetic patients compared with nondiabetic patients. In the era of DESs, no study has compared the effects of telmisartan and valsartan on neointima volume with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) at 8 months after zotarolimus-eluting stent implantation in hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients. Telmisartan, which is well-known for its selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ activity with its anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties, could be an appropriate therapeutic option for treating hypertensive diabetic patients with significant coronary artery diseases requiring stent implantation. In contrast, valsartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker with negligible PPAR-γ activity. Increasing interest remains in the identification of systemic pharmacological therapies to prevent coronary restenosis especially in diabetic patients.