Insufficient Control of Blood Pressure and Incident Diabetes

  1. Raffaele Izzo, MD, PHD1,
  2. Giovanni de Simone, MD2,
  3. Marcello Chinali, MD, PHD2,
  4. Guido Iaccarino, MD, PHD1,
  5. Valentina Trimarco, PHD3,
  6. Francesco Rozza, MD, PHD1,
  7. Renata Giudice, MD1,
  8. Bruno Trimarco, MD1 and
  9. Nicola De Luca, MD1
  1. 1Department of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular, and Immunological Sciences, Federico II University–Naples, Naples, Italy;
  2. 2Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico II University–Naples, Naples, Italy;
  3. 3Department of Neuroscience, Federico II University–Naples, Naples, Italy.
  1. Corresponding author: Bruno Trimarco, trimarco{at}unina.it

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Incidence of type 2 diabetes might be associated with preexisting hypertension. There is no information on whether incident diabetes is predicted by blood pressure control. We evaluated the hazard of diabetes in relation to blood pressure control in treated hypertensive patients.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Nondiabetic, otherwise healthy, hypertensive patients (N = 1,754, mean ± SD age 52 ± 11 years, 43% women) participated in a network over 3.4 ± 1 years of follow-up. Blood pressure was considered uncontrolled if systolic was ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic was ≥90 mmHg at the last outpatient visit. Diabetes was defined according to American Diabetes Association guidelines.

RESULTS Uncontrolled blood pressure despite antihypertensive treatment was found in 712 patients (41%). At baseline, patients with uncontrolled blood pressure were slightly younger than patients with controlled blood pressure (51 ± 11 vs. 53 ± 12 years, P < 0.001), with no differences in sex distribution, BMI, duration of hypertension, baseline blood pressure, fasting glucose, serum creatinine and potassium, lipid profile, or prevalence of metabolic syndrome. During follow-up, 109 subjects developed diabetes. Incidence of diabetes was significantly higher in patients with uncontrolled (8%) than in those with controlled blood pressure (4%, odds ratio 2.08, P < 0.0001). In Cox regression analysis controlling for baseline systolic blood pressure and BMI, family history of diabetes, and physical activity, uncontrolled blood pressure doubled the risk of incident diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 2.10, P < 0.001), independently of significant effects of age (HR 1.02 per year, P = 0.03) and baseline fasting glucose (HR 1.10 per mg/dl, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS In a large sample of treated nondiabetic hypertensive subjects, uncontrolled blood pressure is associated with twofold increased risk of incident diabetes independently of age, BMI, baseline blood pressure, or fasting glucose.

Footnotes

  • The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

    • Received October 23, 2008.
    • Accepted February 3, 2009.
  • Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ for details.

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