by Peter J. Nebergall, PhD
Are you a Hispanic person with high blood pressure?
If so, you should talk to your doctor about your hypertension (high blood pressure) medication. People with diabetes are at a much greater risk of developing high blood pressure than others, and the most common medications prescribed for high blood pressure are beta-blockers and diuretics. But researchers at the University of Florida have discovered that Hispanics with high blood pressure may respond better to less commonly prescribed drugs: calcium antagonists and ACE inhibitors. In fact, they found that, in addition to treating hypertension, the ACE inhibitors may actually improve or prevent diabetes.
University of Florida researchers, working on the INVEST (International Verapamil SR-Trandolapril Study) have discovered that certain persons of Hispanic ethnicity with high blood pressure—with or without diabetes—respond better to calcium antagonists and ACE inhibitors than they do to the traditional beta-blockers and diuretics. Diabetes and high blood pressure often march in step—so improved blood pressure control, for this very heavily diabetes-impacted population, will reduce the burden of diabetes. The same research discovered that the ACE inhibitors (specifically a mix of verapamil and trandolapril) could improve insulin resistance and cut the risk of developing full-blown diabetes.
Ace inhibitors are already recommended to treat diabetes complications such as nephropathy and retinopathy, and this new development is exciting. The next question is whether the ACE inhibitors will be equally beneficial to non-Hispanics. The study was limited to Hispanics, and doesn’t appear to have incorporated non-Hispanic “controls,” so we don’t yet know whether the benefits will be the same for other ethnic groups. In addition, because the term “Hispanic” embraces a diverse population of racial, ethnic, and national groups, further research will be needed to determine which factors, if any, correlate with the benefits of ACE inhibitors.
In the meantime, however, you should consult your doctor about whether your high blood pressure medicine is right for you.