title: Choice of antihypertensive treatment in subjects with pre-diabetes. Is there a dream after the navigator.
abstract: The majority of individuals with pre-diabetic states eventually appear to develop diabetes mellitus. During the pre-diabetic state, that may last many years, the risk of cardiovascular disease is modestly increased, with impaired glucose tolerance being slightly stronger predictor for future cardiovascular disease than impaired fasting glucose. The role of different antihypertensive drugs in the acceleration or the delay of diabetes onset is controversial. Agents that interrupt the renin-angiotensin system, such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers are likely to be beneficial in the prevention of diabetes, while calcium channel blockers are thought to act metabolically neutral. In contrast, diuretics or β-blockers, and especially their combination, are thought to increase the incidence of diabetes. Carvedilol, a non-selective β-blocker with α(1)-blocking properties, and nebivolol, a third-generation highly selective β(1)- blocker with additional endothelial nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilator activity have been shown to have a favorable effect on glucose metabolism compared with others β-blockers. Nevertheless, the key goal still remains to reduce blood pressure, which may require combination of different antihypertensive drug classes. Changes from diuretics and β- blockers to renin-angiotensin system inhibitors certainly have cost implications. However, treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers may be cheaper in the long run, due to less risk of new-onset diabetes and other metabolic disturbances. Thus, for patients with pre-diabetes it is wise to choose medications with the least diabetogenic potential and until more data are available, it seems prudent to restrict use of diuretics and classic β- blockers.
authors.affiliation: First Cardiology Clinic, University of Athens, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eleftheriadou
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsioufis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tsiachris
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tentolouris
authors.forename: Christodoulos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanadis
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000517:prevention & control; D004232:Diuretics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004232:Diuretics