Angiotensin blockade in type 2 diabetes: what the new evidence tells us about renal and cardiac complications.

Diabetes has long been recognized as a risk factor for heart disease. Recent evidence has brought to light complex interactions that seem to influence both the renal and the vascular complications of diabetes. The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers has been shown to ameliorate renal and cardiac risks in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes to a degree that is disproportionate to blood pressure-lowering effects. The judicious use of these agents can materially improve the prognosis for patients with diabetes.