Anti-inflammatory action of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers and the prevention of diabetes mellitus in obese patients with hypertension.

To the Editor—In their commentary, Chan et al propose that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) should be considered first-choice antihypertensive therapies for obese patients, given the favourable effects of these agents on glucose metabolism. We agree with this assertion and suggest that the antiinflammatory action of renin-angiotensin blockade could be a further underlying mechanism of the beneficial metabolic effects of ACE inhibitors and ARBs in obese patients.