[Pentoxifylline and arterial hypertension in diabetes mellitus: long-term results in randomized groups]

This follow-up study concerns the use of pentoxifylline (PTX) as antihypertensive drug in randomized diabetic groups. A significant reduction of systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure has been obtained in diabetic patients treated with PTX alone or with PTX associated to conventional antihypertensive therapy. The normalization of arterial blood pressure was associated to an improvement of erythrocyte filterability and to a reduction of proteinuria. Therefore, pentoxifylline can be considered a good pharmacological approach in the treatment of diabetic hypertension and in the prevention of diabetic renal disease.