Comparative risk of new‐onset diabetes mellitus for antihypertensive drugs in elderly: A Bayesian network meta‐analysis

There is no study to compare different class of antihypertensive drugs on new-onset diabetes mellitus (NOD) in elderly. We aimed to investigate the risk of antihypertensive drugs on NOD in elderly patients. The databases were retrieved in an orderly manner from the dates of their establishment to October, 2018, including Medline, Embase, Clinical Trials, and the Cochrane Database, to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of different antihypertensive drugs in elderly patients (age > 60 years). Then, a network meta-analysis was conducted using R and Stata 12.0 softwares. A total of 14 RCTs involving 74 042 patients were included. The relative risk of NOD mellitus associated with six classes of antihypertensive drugs was analyzed, including placebo, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium channel blockers (CCBs), diuretics, and β blockers. Patients with ACEIs or ARBs appeared to have significantly reduced risk of NOD compare with placebo: ACEIs (OR = 0.49, 95% CrI 0.28-0.85), ARBs (OR = 0.37, 95% CrI 0.26-0.52), while CCBs, diuretics, and β blockers appeared to have not significantly reduced risk of NOD mellitus compare with placebo: CCBs (OR = 1.10, 95% CrI 0.85-1.60), diuretics (OR = 1.40, 95% CrI 0.92-2.50), β blockers (OR = 1.40, 95% CrI 0.93-2.10). The SUCRA of placebo, ACEIs, ARBs, CCBs, diuretics, and β blockers was, respectively, 65.3%, 69.3%, 92.3%, 44.1%, 12.1%, and 16.5%. According to the evidence, ARBs have an advantage over the other treatments in reducing the risk of NOD in elderly patients.