Hypertension and arterial stiffness (AS) are associated with the risk for diabetes, with the highest risk seen for those with both hypertension and AS, according to a study published in Hypertension. Researchers conducted a prospective cohort study involving 11,156 participants to examine the status of hypertension and AS in determining diabetes. The risk for diabetes was compared among individuals with normotension with normal AS (ideal vascular function), normotension with elevated AS, hypertension with normal AS, and hypertension with elevated AS. Diabetes occurred in 768 participants after a median follow-up of 6.16 years. Compared with those with ideal vascular function, the risk for diabetes was increased for those with hypertension with elevated AS, normotension with elevated AS, and hypertension with normal AS (HRs, 2.42, 2.11, and 1.48, respectively). Similar results were seen in multiple sensitivity and subgroup analyses. “These findings indicated that preventive strategies on hypertension and AS may also contribute to the prevention of diabetes,” the study authors wrote.

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