A large study involving 145,000 people has found that the drugs used to regulate blood pressure can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Researchers observed that doctors already prescribe low-cost blood pressure drugs to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. But until now, it was not clear that the protective effects of these drugs are much wider.
Researchers found that a 5 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes by 11%. The team also found angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) had the strongest protective effect, both reducing someone's relative risk of developing diabetes by 16%, reported The Guardian.
The BHF medical director Prof Sir Nilesh Samani said that both diabetics and high blood pressure are two growing problems that increase the risk of developing other serious health complications. "This study shows that they are inter-connected."
However, other types of blood-pressure-lowering drugs like calcium channel blockers had no effect on the risk of type 2 diabetes. Beta-blockers and thiazide diuretics, both of which are known to prevent heart attacks and stroke, were found to increase the risk of diabetes.
Prof Kazem Rahimi, the lead researcher, told The Guardian that the study provides clear evidence that giving ACE inhibitors or ARBs to people living at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes can be helpful. Both drugs are widely available and affordable worldwide.
Researchers at the universities of Oxford and Bristol observed 145,000 people from 19 randamised clinical trials across the world for five years. The study is published in the journal Lancet.
The research was funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, and the Oxford Martin School.