The combination of drugs traditionally used to control blood pressure might not be ideal for Hispanic patients, University of Florida researchers warn.

While beta-blockers and diuretics have long been used to treat patients with hypertension, Hispanic patients appear to benefit from a tailor-made strategy that includes other medications, particularly calcium antagonists and angiotensin-converting, or ACE, inhibitors.

Not only does the approach effectively lower blood pressure in many Hispanic patients, it has an extra benefit: It dramatically cuts their risk of developing diabetes. UF researchers reported the findings in this month's issue of the American Heart Journal.