Thiazide Use and Cardiovascular Events in Type 2 Diabetic Patients With Well-Controlled Blood Pressure

Evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of thiazides in patients with well-controlled and relatively low blood pressure (BP) is lacking. This study aimed to assess whether thiazide use is effective and safe in type 2 diabetic patients with well-controlled BP and whether intensive BP control leads to decreased risk of cardiovascular events depending on thiazide use. We performed an observational cohort study using data from the ACCORD study (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes). The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), which was a composite end point including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Hazard ratios for primary and secondary outcomes with 95% CIs were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models. We included 10 011 type 2 diabetic patients. The overall mean follow-up period was 7.7 years, and 1776 patients experienced MACE. Mean systolic BP at baseline in patients taking and not taking thiazides was 137.2 and 135.7 mm Hg, respectively. Thiazide use was associated with increased risk of MACE, particularly stroke (hazard ratio, 1.49 [95% CI, 1.18-1.88]). In addition, thiazide use was significantly associated with higher risks of MACE and stroke in patients receiving intensive BP control but not in those receiving standard BP control. Similar associations were observed in analyses using propensity score matching. Intensive BP control reduced the risks of MACE and stroke in patients not taking thiazides but not in patients taking thiazides. Thiazide use may be harmful in type 2 diabetic patients with relatively low BP.