Recent developments in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The last couple of decades have seen a great improvement in our understanding of risk factors in diabetes. In particular, a number of studies have demonstrated the major harmful role of hypertension in combination with diabetes. In a parallel development, pharmacological developments have greatly increased our ability to control both blood pressure and glycaemic exposure. This review focuses on hypertension as a risk factor and of the role of emerging therapies, in the light of their effects beyond the direct lowering of blood pressure. Agents that interfere with the renin-angiotensin system, particularly angiotensin-receptor blockers, may have particular benefits on end-organs in diabetic patients.