title: Choice of ACE inhibitor combinations in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes: update after recent clinical trials.
abstract: The diabetes epidemic continues to grow unabated, with a staggering toll in micro- and macrovascular complications, disability, and death. Diabetes causes a two- to fourfold increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease, and represents the first cause of dialysis treatment both in the UK and the US. Concomitant hypertension doubles total mortality and stroke risk, triples the risk of coronary heart disease and significantly hastens the progression of microvascular complications, including diabetic nephropathy. Therefore, blood pressure reduction is of particular importance in preventing cardiovascular and renal outcomes. Successful antihypertensive treatment will often require a combination therapy, either with separate drugs or with fixed-dose combinations. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor plus diuretic combination therapy improves blood pressure control, counterbalances renin-angiotensin system activation due to diuretic therapy and reduces the risk of electrolyte alterations, obtaining at the same time synergistic antiproteinuric effects. ACE inhibitor plus calcium channel blocker provides a significant additive effect on blood pressure reduction, may have favorable metabolic effects and synergistically reduce proteinuria and the rate of decline in glomerular filtration rate, as evidenced by the GUARD trial. Finally, the recently published ACCOMPLISH trial showed that an ACE inhibitor/calcium channel blocker combination may be particularly useful in reducing cardiovascular outcomes in high-risk patients. The present review will focus on different ACE inhibitor combinations in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension, in the light of recent clinical trials, including GUARD and ACCOMPLISH.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of internal Medicine. University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy. paolo@unipg.it
authors.forename: Gianpaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reboldi
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angeli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verdecchia
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018579:Patient Selection; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000187:drug effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004232:Diuretics; D004338:Drug Combinations