DPP-4 Inhibitor Reduces Central Blood Pressure in a Diabetic and Hypertensive Patient

Abstract

Hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) are among the main risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. Pharmacotherapy for DM should not only improve blood glucose control, but also provide beneficial glucose-independent cardiovascular effects. The central systolic blood pressure (SBP) has become more important than the brachial SBP in the assessment of cardiovascular risk.This case report describes the effect of vildagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, on the central SBP in a 54-year-old woman with hypertension and DM. She was submitted to applanation tonometry (AT) before and after vildagliptin association. AT of the radial artery is a non-invasive method that indirectly assesses arterial stiffness by calculating the central SBP and the augmentation index (AIx).After 3 months of follow-up using vildagliptin, central SBP and AIx were improved. Moreover, she presented better glycemic control.This case suggests an effect of DPP-4 inhibitor on arterial stiffness parameter (central SBP) in a hypertensive and diabetic patient, which shows a glucose-independent beneficial cardiovascular effect of this group of drugs.