"Parkinson's disease drugs" cross-border "type 1 diabetes" treatment? Bromocriptine has shown therapeutic potential to improve blood pressure and aortic stiffness

Introduction: Recently, a small study published in the official journal of the American Heart Association, Hypertension (Region 1, IF: 9.
897), showed that patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) experienced significant improvement in blood pressure and arteriosclerosis after treatment with bromocriptine (a Parkinson's disease treatment drug
).

"It is well known that in the early stages of type 1 diabetes disease, abnormalities
begin to occur in the large blood vessels surrounding the heart, aorta and its main branches.
This study found that bromocriptine has the potential to slow the development of these abnormalities and reduce the risk of
cardiovascular disease in this population.
The study's lead author, Dr.
Michal Schäfer from the University of Colorado Boulder School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado, mentioned
.

Dopamine and insulin sensitivity: a cross-border exploration of the Parkinson's disease drug "bromocriptine"

Bromocriptine belongs to a class of drugs called dopamine agonists, which increase dopamine levels
.
Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that causes the body to become more responsive to insulin, known as insulin sensitivity
.
Bromocriptine has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2009 for the complementary treatment
of type 2 diabetes in adults due to its effects on insulin sensitivity.

In this study, investigators assessed the effects of bromocriptine on blood pressure and aortic sclerosis in adolescents with type 1 diabetes compared
with placebo.
We included 34 participants (13 men and 21 women) aged between 12 and 21 years, with a median duration of type 1 diabetes of 5.
8 years and an HbA1c of 8.
6±1.
1%.

Participants were randomly divided into two groups of 17 people each, one group receiving bromocriptine immediate-release dosage form and the other receiving placebo
.

The study was designed as a "crossover" and was conducted in two phases: participants received the first intervention for 4 weeks in the first phase, followed by a 4-week "elution phase" (no intervention), followed by a second phase of 4 weeks of opposite treatment (drug, placebo group switching).

Blood pressure and active hardening were
measured at the beginning of the study and at the end of each phase.

Bromocriptine has shown therapeutic potential to improve blood pressure and aortic stiffness

The study found that, compared to placebo:

➤ Bromocriptine significantly reduced blood pressure: On average, participants treated with bromocriptine had a 5 mmHg (P<0.
001) reduction in systolic blood pressure (P0.
001) and a 2 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure (P=0.
039)<b10> at the end of 4 weeks of treatment.

➤ Bromocriptine reduces the degree of aortic sclerosis: the improvement of ascending aortic aortic sclerosclerosis is the most obvious, the pulse wave velocity is reduced by about 0.
4 m/s (P=0.
018), and the dilation (or elasticity) is increased by 8% (P=0.
017).

For thoracic and abdominal aortic sclerosis, the pulse wave velocity decreases by about 0.
2 m/s (P=0.
007) and the dilativity increases by 5% (P=0.
013).

Dr.
Michal Schäfer said: "Aortic sclerosis predisposes patients to other health problems, such as organ dysfunction or atherosclerosis, as well as higher pressure or tension in the heart
muscle.
This study suggests that the associated health impairment in adolescents with type 1 diabetes may be slowed
by this drug.
”

Outlook for the future

The researchers said that the study included only 34 people with type 1 diabetes, and the small size of the study was one of
the limitations.
In the future, larger studies will be conducted to evaluate the effects
of bromocriptine on vascular health in more people with type 1 diabetes.

Schäfer, M.
, et al.
(2022) Bromocriptine Improves Central Aortic Stiffness in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: Arterial Health Results From the BCQR-T1D Study.
Hypertension.
doi.
org/10.
1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.
122.
19547.

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