Blood pressure and glucose control and the prevalence of albuminuria and left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with hypertension and diabetes

We investigated association between blood pressure and glucose control and the prevalence of albuminuria and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with hypertension and diabetes. Our study participants were treated patients with both diseases, enrolled in a China nationwide registry. The 773 patients were classified into four groups according to the control status of hypertension (systolic/diastolic blood pressure [BP] <= 140/90 mm Hg) and diabetes (HbA1c <7.0%): both uncontrolled (n = 208), only diabetes (n = 175) or hypertension controlled (n = 172), and both controlled (n = 218). Albuminuria was defined as a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio of >= 30 mg/g. LVH was assessed by the electrocardiogram Cornell product method. Antihypertensive therapy was not different between the four groups (P >= .48). The use of insulin alone or insulin plus oral antidiabetic agents was significantly higher than those with both diseases controlled (P <= .02). Patients with controlled hypertension and diabetes had a significantly (P < .0001) lower prevalence of albuminuria (odds ratio 0.22, 95% confidence interval 0.11-0.43) than those with both diseases uncontrolled. Intensive BP control to <130/80 mm Hg was associated with lower risks of albuminuria in all patients (P = .001) and patients with HbA1c <7.0% (P = .048). Intensive glycemic control to HbA1c <6.5% was also associated with a significantly lower risk of albuminuria in all patients (P = .01), but not those with controlled BP (P = .43). Similar trends were observed for LVH, but statistical significance was not achieved on either intensive control condition (P >= .07). In patients with hypertension and diabetes, blood pressure and glucose control were associated with a lower prevalence of albuminuria and LVH, especially when achieving a more stringent target.