%0 Journal Article
%T Antihypertensive drug class and impaired fasting glucose: a risk association study among Chinese patients with uncomplicated hypertension
%A Martin CS Wong
%A Johnny Y Jiang
%A H Fung
%A Sian Griffiths
%A Stewart Mercer
%J BMC Pharmacology and Toxicology
%D 2008
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1472-6904-8-6
%X The odds ratios of having above borderline (¡Ý 6.1 mmol/l) and adverse (¡Ý 7.0 mmol/l) glucose levels, respectively, were studied according to patient age, gender, socioeconomic status, clinic types and antihypertensive drug classes by multivariable regression analyses.The fasting glucose levels were statistically similar (p = 0.786) among patients prescribed thiazide diuretics (5.48 mmol/l, 95%, 5.38, 5.59), calcium channel blockers (5.46 mmol/l, 95% C.I. 5.37, 5.54), ¦Â-blockers (5.42 mmol/l, 95% C.I. 5.34, 5.51) and drugs acting on the renin angiotensin system (RAS) [5.41 mmol/l, 95% C.I. 5.20, 5.61]. Multivariate analyses reported no significant associations between antihypertensive drug class and impaired fasting glucose. Elderly patients and male gender were significantly more likely to present with above borderline and adverse readings respectively.Clinicians should be aware of the increased risk of impaired fasting glucose in these groups, and use of thiazides should not in itself deter its use as a first-line antihypertensive agent among ethnic Chinese patients.Hypertension was estimated to be present in at least 73% of citizens in the United States who have diabetes [1]. Many people were diagnosed with hypertension prior to diabetes [2], and a significant number of hypertensive patients have diabetes gone unrecognized [3]. Diabetes was reported to impose a two-fold or greater risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality [4] and together with hypertension this risk increased dramatically [5]. The co-existence of diabetes and hypertension are associated with greater degrees of arterial stiffness [6] which leads to earlier rises in systolic and pulse pressures [7].The importance of early detection of diabetes among hypertensive patients has been highlighted in the guidelines of the American Diabetes Association [8] and the seventh report of the Joint National Committee [9], which called for screening for diabetes at the time of diagnosing hypertension and rep
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