This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 0003319708320938v1 59/2_suppl/44S    most recent References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Andrikopoulos, G. K. Articles by Tzeis, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Andrikopoulos, G. K. Articles by Tzeis, S. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Modification of Cardiometabolic Risk Through Cannabinoid Type-1 Receptor Antagonism

First Cardiac Department, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece, andrikop{at}hotmail.com

Stylianos Tzeis, MD

Deutsches Herzzentrum München and 1. Med. Klinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München, Munich, Germany

Large-scale epidemiological studies show that hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia are highly prevalent among obese individuals. Regrettably, preventive efforts have failed to abolish the increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide. The endocannabinoid system is implicated in the regulation of appetite, food intake, lipids, and glucose metabolism. Rimonabant is the first type-1 endocannabinoid receptor blocker that has been shown to improve the serum lipid profile, insulin and glucose levels, and blood pressure. In particular, the RIO (rimonabant in obesity) studies documented the beneficial metabolic effects of rimonabant. These favorable metabolic effects exceed by about 50% those anticipated by weight reduction, possibly due to modulation of the endocannabinoid system in peripheral tissues. The beneficial effects, however, seem to come at the cost of an increased risk of psychiatric disorders. However, given the efficacy of this treatment and the magnitude of the obesity problem, rimonabant may prove to be a valuable adjunct in targeting obesity-related cardiovascular risk factors.

Key Words: obesity • endocannabinoid system • rimonabant

This version was published on August 1, 2008

Angiology, Vol. 59, No. 2 suppl, 44S-48S (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0003319708320938


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. I. Paraskevas, C. Psathas, T. Dragios, D. G. Chatzis, D. P. Mikhailidis, and Z. S. Kyriakides The Impact of Novel Treatment Modalities on the Therapeutic Approach of Cardiovascular Diseases Angiology, February 1, 2009; 60(1): 5 - 7. [PDF]