Abstract: AIM: To evaluate the effect of orlistat on blood pressure and arteria brachialis nitroglycerin mediated endothelium-independent vasodilation in obese subjects with hypertension. METHODS: Thirty obese patients with mild hypertension (obese hypertension group)took orlistat 120 mg tid for 12 weeks. The height, body weight, waist circumference (WC)and blood pressure were measured and the body mass index (BMI)was calculated. The degree of nitroglycerin-mediated vasodilation (NMD)of brachial artery was determined by high-resolution ultrasound before and after 12 weeks treatment with orlistat. 15 concurrent blood pressure, age and gender-matched non-obese hypertensive patients served as control. RESULTS: The baseline parameters were comparable between the two groups. There were no differences in NMD between obese hypertension group and no obese hypertension group before treatment, while the BMI and WC were obviously increased in obese hypertension group (P <0.01, respectively). The BMI, WC and blood pressure were decreased significantly (P <0.05 or P <0.01, respectively) after 12 weeks orlistat treatment. Compared with that in before treatment group the NMD was not significantly affected (16.2 % vs 15.5 %, P >0.05). CONCLUSION: Orlistat can decrease the body weight and blood pressure in a short period treatment, but there were no effects on arteria brachialis nitroglycerinmediated endothelium-independent vasodilation in obese hypertension patients.

Key words: obesity, hypertension, endotheliumindependent vasodilation