Effect of combining valsartan and amlodipine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated by hypertension

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of combining valsartan and amlodipine on patients who were co-morbid with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension. Methods: The medical records of 110 patients treated in North China Electric Power University Hospital, Beijing, China from July 2018 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Control group (CG; n = 50) was administered oral amlodipine (5 mg daily for 6 months), while the study group (SG; n = 60) received one tablet of co-formulated valsartan (80 mg)) and amlodipine (5 mg) daily for 6 months. All the patients, in addition to the above drugs, were also placed on insulin and atorvastatin calcium. After a 6-month treatment period, the therapeutic effect and incidence of adverse effects were compared between CG and SG. Blood glucose-related indices (glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), 2 h postprandial blood glucose (2 h PG), and fasting blood glucose (FBG)) and blood pressure indices, viz, (diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP)) were compared. Results: Compared to the pre-treatment values, both groups showed significant decrease in 2 h PG, FBG, HbA1c, SBP and DBP after treatment (p < 0.05), but the 2 h PG, FBG, HbA1c, SBP and DBP in SG were significantly lower in comparison to CG (p < 0.05). The overall response rate (ORR) of CG was significantly lower in comparison to SG (p < 0.05). In SG, there was significant reduction in the incidence of adverse effects compared to CG (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of valsartan and amlodipine is effective in treating T2DM co-morbid with hypertension, and satisfactorily controls blood glucose level and blood pressure with a relatively high level of safety. Further experiments would be required to ascertain the reliability of these findings.