Hypertension and the development of complications in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in Japan.

Hypertension is a very frequent condition in individuals with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in Japan and has affected the occurrence of late diabetic complications, especially stroke and nephropathy. Despite similar characteristics of hypertension among Japanese and white patients, the effect of hypertension on the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) in these two populations is strikingly different. In white NIDDM patients, hypertension is one of the major risk factors for the development of CAD. However, CAD is an infrequent complication in NIDDM patients in Japan, even though they have hypertension, lipid abnormalities, and renal complications.