Background: Both hypertensives and diabetes are at high risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Compared with patients with essential hypertension without diabetes(HTN), patients with both hypertension and diabetes(HTN DM) may be at higher risk for future cardiovascular complication. Thus, we hypothesized that HTN DM have more depressed left ventricular(LV) function than HTN. Methods: Echocardiography including 2D and tissue Doppler imaging(TDI) was taken in HTN(n=149) and HTN DM(n=96) with normal systolic function, sinus rhythm on ECG, and without history of ischemic heart disease or significant valvular heart disease. Results: Both group had similar age, body mass index, LV mass, and ejection fraction, relative wall thickness, and myocardial performance index(Tei index) as a predictor of global LV function. Prevalence of LV geometric patterns such as concentric remodeling, eccentric hypertrophy, concentric hypertrophy were similar in both group. On Doppler study, early diastolic mitral annulus velocity by TDI(Ea) was significantly lower in HTN DM(5.68짹1.9 vs 6.17짹1.78, p<0.05), and the ratio of peak early mitral inflow velocity(E) to Ea was significantly higher in HTN DM group than HTN(13.46짹4.12 vs 12.05짹3.73, p<0.01). Conclusions: Diastolic function on TDI were more depressed in HTN DM than HTN despite of similar global LV function and geometry. Its clinical relevance should be assessed further in detail.