Drugs used for high blood pressure do not accelerate or slow down the development of type 2 diabetes. Researchers from the University of Alberta Hospital, Canada, examined the occurrence of type 2 diabetes among previously untreated elderly patients who took treatment for high blood pressure. Nearly 40,000 subjects were on ACE inhibitors, some 20,000 were taking beta-blockers, and about 20,000 were given calcium channel blockers. About 53 per cent of the subjects were excluded from the analysis because of medication discontinuation, and 17 per cent were dropped from the study after another medication was added. The researching team found that neither ACE inhibitors nor beta-blockers were associated with a significant difference in type 2 diabetes incidence compared to that seen with calcium channel blockers. Similar results were obtained when a sub-analysis looked at patients who were taking a diuretic in addition to another drug. Diabetes should not be a concern when high blood pressure is being treated.
Diabetes Care,
October 2004