Objective To investigate the possibility and utility of metformin alone or in combination with fosinopril to reduce blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension.Met hods A total of 140 cases of non-diabetic essential hypertension with hyperinsulinemia were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups: a group of 68 treated with metformin 500 mg tid and a group of 72 treated with fosinopril 10 mg qd.The duration of the treatment was 8 weeks.Combination therapy with the two drugs was used after 4 weeks of treatment if needed.If the target goals of systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 140 mm Hg (1 mm Hg =0.133 kPa) and /or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) <90 mm Hg were not attained 4 weeks, combination therapy with two drugs was used in either group in the next 4 weeks.The changes of blood pressure and insulin sensitivity of the two groups were observed before and after treatment.Results (1) After 4 weeks of treatment, SBP in metformin group and fosinopril group decreased by ( 13.0 ± 1.2) mm Hg and (15.4 ± 1.4) mm Hg, and DBP decreased by (9.0 ± 1.0) mm Hg and ( 10.4 ± 1.1 ) mm Hg respectively.After 8 weeks of treatment, SBP in metformin group and fosinopril group decreased by (17.8 ± 1.5) mm Hg and (20.9 ± 1.5) mm Hg, and DBP decreased by (13.2 ±0.9) mm Hg and (15.3 ± 1.1) mm Hg respectively.There was no significant difference in the decline of blood pressure between the two groups (P >0.05).The rates of combination therapy were both 54% in the two groups.(2) Fasting insulin as well as 30 min and 120 min insulin levels after oral glucose tolerance test and insulin area under the curve in the metformin group were significantly reduced after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment as compared with those of baseline(P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 ) .In the fosinopril group, however, they decreased only after 8 weeks treatment (P < 0.05).The insulin action index in the metformin group was higher than that in the fosinopril group after 4 weeks of treatment (P <0.05) ,but there was no significant difference between the two groups after 8 weeks of treatment (P > 0.05).Conclusion Metformin and fosinopril have similar antihypertensive effect and a good synergy in essential hypertension with hyperinsulinemia.

Objective To explore the relationship and influencing factors between pre‐diabetes mellitus (pre‐DM) and hypertension, providing evidence for formulating strategies for cardiovascular disease prevention and control. Methods We conducted this study from June 2013 to September 2014. Using stratified multistage random sampling, participants were administered a questionnaire survey, their height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, other physical attributes, blood pressure and blood lipids were measured. They also underwent the 75‐g glucose tolerance test and other laboratory examinations. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between pre‐DM and hypertension and its influencing factors. Results A total of 4 002 participants completed the survey. Participants'mean age was 50.3 ± 11.8 years. Of the total participants, 1 962 (49.0%) were males, while 2 039 (51.0%) were females; 1 participant had missing gender data. Further, 2 188 participants had normal glucose metabolism, 1 066 had pre‐DM, and 748 had diabetes. The prevalence of hypertension in participants with normal glucose metabolism, impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, both impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance, and DM was 28.3%, 46.5%, 46.3%, 62.0%, and 61.2%, respectively. The prevalence of hypertension varied among people with different glucose metabolism (χ2=306.672, P<0.001). The prevalence of hypertension in the pre‐DM population increased with the aggravation of abnormal glucose metabolism compared to the normal glucose metabolism population, with a linear trend (χ2=299.009, P<0.001). Among those with abnormal glucose metabolism, there were differences in age, cholesterol, triglycerides, low‐density lipoproteins, body mass index, and waist circumference compared to those without hypertension (P<0.05). The risk of hypertension in the pre‐diabetic population was 1.5 times higher than that in the normal glucose metabolism population (OR=2.510, 95% CI: 2.156-2.922, P<0.001). There was no difference in the correlation intensity between pre‐DM and hypertension when gender was taken into account. Age and lipid abnormalities slightly decreased the correlation intensity between abnormal glucose metabolism and hypertension. Considering body mass index and centripetal obesity, the correlation intensity between abnormal glucose metabolism and hypertension could be reduced by controlling these factors. Conclusion The prevalence of hypertension is high in people with pre‐DM. There is a correlation between pre‐DM and hypertension, even when considering factors such as age, dyslipidemia, body mass index, and centripetal obesity. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the management of blood pressure in the pre‐diabetic population; improve early intervention for risk factors such as dyslipidemia, body mass index, and centripetal obesity; and reduce the occurrence of hypertension.