Impaired Fasting Glucose in Hypertensive Patients: Prevalence and Cross-Sectional Analysis of Associations with Cardiovascular Disease

Background: Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) is frequently present in hypertensive patients and might be induced or aggravated by antihypertensive treatment. However, it is unclear whether IFG is associated with increased cardiovascular risk in this population. Patients and Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in 1,810 hypertensive patients and recorded the presence of IFG, coronary heart disease (CHD), and ischemic stroke. Results: IFG was present in 567 patients (31.3%). The prevalence of CHD or ischemic stroke did not differ between patients with IFG and in patients with serum glucose levels <100 mg/dL. Among patients with IFG, 267 (47.0%) were on beta-blockers, diuretics, or both b-blockers and diuretics. The prevalence of CHD was numerically but not significantly higher in patients with IFG treated with b-blockers or both b-blockers and diuretics than in patients with IFG treated with diuretics or not treated with either b-blockers or diuretics and patients with serum glucose levels <100 mg/dL (11.1%, 13.6%, 1.4%, 3.7%, and 5.9%, respectively; P = not significant). The prevalence of ischemic stroke did not differ among these groups. Conclusions: IFG does not appear to be associated with increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients, regardless if it is associated with the antihypertensive treatment or not.