Open AccessIs the Development of Diabetes With Antihypertensive Therapy a Problem?—Pro
Author(s) -
Verdecchia Paolo,
Angeli Fabio,
Reboldi Gianpaolo,
Gattobigio Roberto
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the journal of clinical hypertension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1751-7176
pISSN - 1524-6175
DOI - 10.1111/j.1524-6175.2006.04587.x
Subject(s) - medicine , diabetes mellitus , nod , incidence (geometry) , overweight , concomitant , prediabetes , endocrinology , obesity , type 2 diabetes , physics , optics
Some questions about new‐onset diabetes (NOD) must still be completely addressed: 1) its incidence; 2) the possible association between NOD and some classes of antihypertensive drugs; and 3) its prognostic impact. It is well known that diuretics and β blockers can increase plasma glucose and, in available hypertension trials, diuretics and β blockers caused a higher incidence of NOD than new antihypertensive drugs. NOD heralds a high risk of major cardiovascular events, but the absolute difference between old and new drugs was too small to significantly drive the differences in cardiovascular event rates between the two groups of treatment. This evidence suggests a judicious use of drugs more frequently associated with NOD in subjects at high risk of diabetes (impaired fasting glucose, overweight, family history of diabetes, low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels). The lowest effective dose of these drugs should be used, plasma glucose should be checked periodically, and concomitant lifestyle measures to prevent diabetes should be implemented with resolution.