In the study, alagebrium was shown to increase arterial elasticity through the breaking of advanced glycation end-product (AGE) crosslinks and improve endothelial function. As central arterial stiffening and endothelial dysfunction are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the study authors have concluded that these effects may favorably modify cardiovascular risk in older hypertensive subjects.
The study was conducted under grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the Society of Geriatric Cardiology/Association of Subspecialty Professors by a Johns Hopkins University research team. The primary purpose of the trial was to determine whether increasing arterial elasticity by breaking AGE crosslinks improves endothelial function as assessed by evaluating vessel distensibility and flow-mediated dilation, a dynamic test of endothelial cell function.
Results from the pilot study showed that, when compared with baseline, carotid augmentation index, a measure of vascular stiffness, decreased by 37.3% and augmented pressure declined 41%. Brachial systolic and diastolic blood pressures (BP) did not significantly change in this patient population at this dose. Alagebrium therapy also was associated with a marked increase in flow-mediated dilation or FMD, a measure of endothelial function.
Further studies are being conducted to determine whether these two findings are inter-related or if alagebrium is associated with two independent beneficial effects.