Atazanavir improves cardiometabolic measures but not vascular function in patients with long-standing type 1 diabetes mellitus

Jessica Milian, Allison B. Goldfine, Jonah P. Zuflacht, Caitlin Parmer, Joshua A. Beckman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Aims: Vascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). We previously demonstrated that patients with T1DM have impaired endothelial function, a forme fruste of atherosclerosis, as a result of increased oxidative stress. Bilirubin has emerged as a potent endogenous antioxidant with higher concentrations associated with lower rates of myocardial infarction and stroke. Methods: We tested the hypothesis that increasing endogenous bilirubin using atazanavir would improve cardiometabolic risk factors and vascular function in patients with T1DM to determine whether targeting bilirubin may be a novel therapeutic approach to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in this population. In this single-arm, open-label study, we evaluated blood pressure, lipid profile, and conduit artery function in fifteen subjects (mean age 45 ± 9 years) with T1DM following a 4-day treatment with atazanavir. Results: As anticipated, atazanavir significantly increased both serum total bilirubin levels (p < 0.0001) and plasma total antioxidant capacity (p < 0.0001). Reductions in total cholesterol (p = 0.04), LDL cholesterol (p = 0.04), and mean arterial pressure (p = 0.04) were also observed following atazanavir treatment. No changes were seen in either flow-mediated endothelium-dependent (p = 0.92) or nitroglycerine-mediated endothelium-independent (p = 0.68) vasodilation, measured by high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography at baseline and post-treatment. Conclusion: Increasing serum bilirubin levels with atazanavir in subjects with T1DM over 4 days favorably reduces LDL and blood pressure but is not associated with improvements in endothelial function of conduit arteries.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)709-715
Number of pages7
JournalActa Diabetologica
Volume52
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 25 2015
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Bilirubin
  • Endothelium
  • Oxidative stress
  • Type 1 diabetes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Internal Medicine
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Endocrinology

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