Diuretics and other antihypertensive drugs and glycemic control in non-insulin-dependent diabetics with hypertension. A survey by the Fukuoka Diabetes Clinic Group.

We compared the levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1) in non-insulin-dependent diabetics with hypertension who were treated with monotherapy of diuretics or other antihypertensive drugs (AHD) and in those who were not given any AHD. Total 162 patients were divided into the four groups; the control group without AHD (n = 45), the diuretics group (n = 42), the beta-blocker group (n = 30) and the Ca-antagonist group (n = 45). FPG and HbA1 levels were 153 +/- 44 mg/dl and 10.0 +/- 2.3% for the control group, 145 +/- 55 mg/dl and 9.8 +/- 2.2% for the diuretics, 165 +/- 63 mg/dl and 10.2 +/- 2.1% for the beta-blocker and 158 +/- 42 mg/dl and 10.4 +/- 2.0% for the Ca-antagonist, respectively. There were no significant differences in the levels of FPG and HbA1 among the four groups. Multivariate analysis also revealed no difference in glycemic control even when anti-diabetic treatment (diet alone, oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin), body mass index, serum potassium, systolic and diastolic blood pressures and age were taken into account. Blood pressure levels did not differ among the groups except control and they were well controlled at the low doses of AHD. Our results suggest that the choice of low dose diuretics for the treatment of hypertension in non-insulin-dependent diabetics might not be necessarily excluded by the only reason of the possible deleterious influence on glycemic control.