[Beta-adrenolitics in therapy of cardiovascular diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus].

The recent years have brought about a marked increase in the number of people suffering from carbohydrate metabolism disturbances. This is primarily due to adverse changes in lifestyle, which consists of an improper diet, rich in simple carbohydrates and fats, and low physical activity. An increasing number of patients with diabetes resulted in the growth of a number of individuals suffering from diabetes-related complications, including cardiovascular diseases. Although, the first line treatment of cardiovascular disorders are beta-blockers, for many years their use in diabetic patients was questioned to the extent that diabetes was one of the major contraindication to these agents. These concerns stemmed primarily from the proven negative impact of first generation beta-blockers on carbohydrate metabolism. The aim of this study was to summarize the possibility of beta-blocker applications in type 2 diabetic patients suffering from cardiovascular disorders, which, in a non-diabetic population, are commonly treated with these agents, taking into account the diversity between various classes of beta-blockers. On the basis of published clinical trials and meta-analyses we discuss the impact of this group of agents on the development of new-onset diabetes, worsening of existing diabetes control, and the development and progression of diabetes-induced complications.