Obesity is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease and it is associated with insulin resistance, which contributes to the development of dyslipidemia, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. The coexistence of hypertension and diabetes increases the risk for macrovascular and microvascular complications, predisposing patients to congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, cerebral and peripheral vascular diseases, nephropathy, and retinopathy. In obese diabetic patients, body weight reduction, as well as metiformin therapy, increase insulin sensitivity and enhance blood pressure and glicemic control. Antihypertensive treatment in diabetic patients decreases cardiovascular mortality and delays the decline of the glomerular function. Pharmacological treatment should consider the effects of the antihypertensive agents on insulin sensitivity and lipid profile. Diuretics and b-blockers are reported to reduce insulin sensitivity, whereas calcium channel blockers are metabolically neutral and ACE inhibitors increase insulin sensitivity and confer additional renal and vascular protection to diabetic patients. Angiotensin II antagonists has shown similar effects.
Diabetes; Hypertension; Obesity; Drug therapy