OBJECTIVE. Objectives To explore the prevalence of various categories of hypertension in diabetic patients, and assess any corresponding associations with end-organ complications.

DESIGN. Cross-sectional study.

SETTING. Tertiary centre of a regional hospital in Hong Kong.

PATIENTS. All ambulatory type 2 diabetic patients attending our clinics from January 2002 to November 2004 were invited to participate in the protocol.

RESULTS. A total of 133 diabetic patients were included; 82 had normal clinic blood pressures, 15 (18%) of whom had masked hypertension, the remaining 67 (82%) had 'normotension' The remaining 51 patients had high clinic blood pressures, of whom 28 (55%) had white-coat hypertension and 23 (45%) had sustained hypertension. Urinary albumin excretion rate was higher in patients with masked hypertension (10 mg/day; range, 7-580 mg/day) and sustained hypertension (7 mg/day; 7-3360 mg/day) in comparison to those with white-coat hypertension (7 mg/day; 7-109 mg/day) or 'normotension'(7 mg/day; 7-181 mg/day) [P<0.01]. Likewise, the prevalence of albuminuria was significantly higher in patients with masked hypertension (40%) and sustained hypertension (26%) than in those with 'normotension'(6%) and white-coat hypertension (11%) [P<0.01]. The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy was significantly higher in subjects with masked hypertension (38%) and sustained hypertension (26%) compared to patients with 'normotension'(8%) or white-coat hypertension (11%) [P<0.01]. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was more prevalent in patients with masked hypertension (46%), sustained hypertension (48%), and white-coat hypertension (43%) in comparison to subjects with 'normotension'(18%) [P=0.01].

CONCLUSION. Masked hypertension is associated with a higher prevalence of albuminuria, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, and hypertrophy. White-coat hypertension carries a more benign prognosis than sustained hypertension and masked hypertension. Our cross-sectional study supports the recommendation to performing ambulatory blood pressure measurements in type 2 diabetic patients.

Key words: Albuminuria; Blood pressure monitoring, ambulatory; Diabetes mellitus, type 2; Hypertension

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