A Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel Group, Efficacy and Safety Study of Empagliflozin (10mg, 25mg) Administered Orally, Once Daily Over 24 Weeks in Hypertensive Black/African American Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

This trial is designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of empagliflozin compared with placebo in hypertensive black/African Americans with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Since hyperglycaemia and hypertension are key risk factors for both micro- and macrovascular complications, assessment of both glucose and BP lowering effects of empagliflozin in hypertensive African American patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus could provide clinically highly relevant, new information for the use of empagliflozin. Essential hypertension is four times more common in African Americans than in Caucasians. One of the risk factors for hypertension is sodium sensitivity and approximately one third of the essential hypertensive population is responsive to sodium intake. There is a higher association of hypertension with sodium sensitivity in African American patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. The treatment duration of this trial (24 weeks) will enable assessment of the clinically relevant endpoint of a decrease in HbA1c, a well accepted measurement of chronic glycaemic control and the key secondary endpoints of decreases in systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) at 12 and 24 weeks.