[Success of blood pressure reduction in diabetic patients]

Diabetes and hypertension frequently coexist, and their combination provides additive increases in the risk of life-threatening cardiovascular events. Recent guidelines agree (JN-VII) on the need for early, aggressive reduction of blood pressure, with a goal of < 130/80 mmHg, in patients with diabetes. The mechanism responsible for the increased sensitivity of diabetics to hypertension is not known, but may involve attenuated nocturnal decrease (non-dipping) of blood pressure. Treatment of hypertension in type 2 diabetes provides dramatic cardiovascular benefit. Aggressive blood pressure control may be the most important factor in preventing adverse outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. Target diastolic blood pressures of less than 80 mm Hg and systolic targets less than 135 mm Hg appear optimal. All classes of antihypertensive agents are effective in reducing blood pressure in patients with diabetes, and all show evidence of a concomitant reduction in cardiovascular risk. Although there is evidence that agents that interrupt the renin-angiotensin system system may be superior in both the nephroprotection and cardioprotection, however the data are not totally conclusive. However, most diabetics and especially diabetic patients with nephropathy will require combination therapy ("antihypertensive cocktail") to reach goal blood pressure. Hypertensive patients have a significantly increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes, and antihypertensive drugs can also significantly influence the risk for that. While diuretics and ss-blockers have a prodiabetic effect, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers may prevent diabetes more effectively than the metabolically neutral calcium channel blockers.