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TAILOR study: telmisartan to reduce risk of diabetes in people on ART

7 April 2014. Related: News.

Tailor study logoThe TAILOR study plans to enrol almost 400 HIV positive people who are already on stable HIV treatment.

It will use different doses of telmisartan (20 mg, 400 mg and 80 mg) to see whether this reduces the risks of developing diabetes or heart disease.

The study last for 48 weeks and involves take 1 small pill daily. People taking the 80 mg dose may use a formulation that involves either 1 or 2 daily pills.

This UK study has 11 sites:

  • Royal Liverpool Hospital, Merseyside
  • Royal Free Hospital, London
  • Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital, London
  • Kings College Hospital, London
  • Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Dorset
  • Western General Hospital, Edinburgh
  • St. James’ Hospital, Leeds
  • City of Coventry Health Centre, Coventry
  • Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals
  • James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough
  • York Clinic, York

By April 2014, over 110 people are already enrolled.

Tailor study website:
http://www.tailortrial.org.uk/

Previous research

Two previous smaller studies have reported on the use of telmisartan by HIV positive people.

One small study (35 people) looked at whether telmisartan (40 mg daily) could help reduce central fat accumulation (visceral fat – a symptom of lipodystrophy) in 35 people. There was a range of responses after 24 weeks. No benefit was reported for visceral fat but reductions were seen for total body fat and subcutaneous fat. [1]

Another small study (18 people) used a higher dose of telmisartan (80 mg daily) for HIV positive people who already had high blood pressure. As well as reducing blood pressure there were benefits in insulin sensitivity and blood lipids (triglycerides and cholesterol). [2]

References

  1. Lake JE et al. A pilot study of telmisartan for visceral adiposity in HIV infection: the metabolic abnormalities, telmisartan, and HIV infection (MATH) trial. PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e58135. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058135. Epub 2013 Mar 14.
    http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0058135
  2. Vecchiet J et al. Antihypertensive and metabolic effects of telmisartan in hypertensive HIV-positive patients. Antivir Ther. 2011;16(5):639-45. doi: 10.3851/IMP1809.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21817185