RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of blood pressure (BP) control and other cardiovascular risk factors in patients with diabetes mellitus in a referral service for the treatment of hypertension. METHODS: A retrospective study where diabetic patients (at least 2 fasting glucose levels above 126 mg/dL, use of hypoglycemic agents or insulin, or both of these) were included. They were evaluated at the first appointment (M1) and at the last appointment (M2), regarding blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), use of hypertensive drugs, glycemia, total cholesterol (TC), creatinine, and potassium. RESULTS: Of 1,032 patients studied, 146 patients with a mean age of 61.6 years had diabetes, and 27 were men (18.5 percent). Mean follow-up was 5.5 years. BP values were 161.6 x 99.9 mmHg in M1 and 146.3 x 89.5 mmHg in M2. In M1, 10.4 percent of the patients did not use medications, 50.6 percent used just 1 drug, 30.8 percent used 2 drugs, and 8.2 percent used 3 or more drugs. In M2, these values were 10.9 percent, 39 percent, 39.7 percent, and 10.4 percent, respectively. Diuretics were the most commonly used medication, whereas angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) were those drugs which presented greater increase when comparing M1 to M2 (24.6 percent and 41.7 percent, respectively). Only 17,1 percent reached the recommended goal (BP<130x85 mmhg). The other cardiovascular risk factors did not change significantly. CONCLUSION: Our data reinforce the necessity of a more aggressive approach in the treatment of these patients, despite the social and economic difficulties in adhering to treatment