Diabetes: treating hypertension.

INTRODUCTION

Among people with diabetes, about 40% of those aged 45 years, and more than 60% of those aged 75 years or over, will have a blood pressure over 140/90 mmHg. Major cardiac events occur in approximately 5% of people with diabetes and untreated hypertension each year, and the risk is higher in those with other risk factors, such as diabetic nephropathy.

METHODS AND OUTCOMES: We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of antihypertensives in people with diabetes and hypertension? What are the effects of different blood pressure targets in people with diabetes and hypertension? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to April 2011 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

RESULTS

We found 24 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

In this systematic review, we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: alpha-blockers, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta-blockers, blood pressure targets (lower or higher), calcium-channel blockers, and diuretics.