Title:Antidiabetic Drugs as Antihypertensives: New Data on the Horizon
Volume: 16
Issue: 1
Author(s): Vassiliki Mamakou, Ioanna Eleftheriadou, Niki Katsiki, Konstantinos Makrilakis, Konstantinos Tsioufis and Nikolaos Tentolouris*
Affiliation:
- First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laiko General Hospital, Athens,Greece
Keywords:
Type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, antidiabetic medications, CV, CVD.
Abstract: Background: The prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is increasing worldwide;
this is stimulating more research into the optimal management of this disease. Cardiovascular Disease
(CVD) remains the commonest cause of death in individuals with T2DM. Besides hyperglycaemia, an
explanation for the increased mortality in this population is the increased prevalence of comorbidities,
such as hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Recent population-based studies described a prevalence of
hypertension >80% in patients with T2DM. In the last decade new classes of antidiabetic medications
have been developed that are effective not only for the management of hyperglycaemia and but also for
tailoring treatment according to individual needs and characteristics. Regulatory authorities demand the
new antidiabetic medications to be examined for Cardiovascular (CV) safety. Interestingly it has been
shown, mainly through CV safety trials, that some new antidiabetic medications not only have glucose
lowering effects, but also Blood Pressure (BP) lowering effects, contributing to CV risk reduction.
Conclusion: This review considers the effect of older and newer antidiabetic medications on BP in patients
with T2DM.