Introduction

High blood pressure (Hypertension) is a significant risk factor for the development and worsening of many complications of Diabetes Mellitus, including Diabetic Retinpathy leading to diminished vision, brain, heart and kidney disease. It affects up to 60% of individuals with diabetes Mellitus.
Having Diabetes Mellitus increases your risk of developing High blood pressure (Hypertension) and other cardiovascular problems, because If you have diabetes chances of developing high blood pressure also increase. Atherosclerosis(abnormal thickeningof blood vessel wall) can cause High blood pressure (Hypertension), which if not managed, can cause arterial damage, heart failure, Myocardial infarction, Angina, kidney failure, stroke. In fact, a person with diabetes and high blood pressure is four times as likely to develop heart disease than someone who does not have either of the condition.

Why is it important to treat high blood pressure?
High blood pressure increases the risk of coronary heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and stroke, especially when it's present with other risk factors, such as diabetes. When a person has high blood pressure and diabetes, a common combination, their risk for cardiovascular disease doubles.

What Should Blood Pressure Be if You Have diabetes Mellitus?
In general your blood pressure should not go above 130/80. Care should be taken so that BP is within bounds.
If you want to prevent diabetes complications, then you should control your blood pressure strictly. Having a normal blood pressure is as significant to managing diabetes Mellitus as having good control of your blood sugars when it comes to preventing diabetes Mellitus complications.

What Are the Symptoms of High blood pressure (Hypertension)?
In most cases high blood pressure (Hypertension) has no symptoms. That's why it's so significant to have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis (during all visits with your doctor) and to follow your doctor's recommendations on home blood pressure measurement.

How Is High blood pressure (Hypertension) Treated in Diabetic patients?
Treatment includes a change in lifestyle risk factors where these can be improved - losing weight if you are overweight, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, , stopping alcohol & smoking, and a low salt intake. If needed, medication can lower blood pressure. ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors and ARBs are a group of medications that are often used to treat high blood pressure in individuals with diabetes Mellitus. Although other High blood pressure (Hypertension) drugs are available, ACE inhibitors have been shown to not only to be a useful drug to manage High blood pressure (Hypertension), but it has been shown to prevent or delay the progression of kidney disease in individuals with diabetes Mellitus as these drugs prevent excreation of protein in urine. ARBs -- These medications keep the blood vessels open and relaxed to help lower blood pressure. Like ACE inhibitors, ARBs protect your kidneys.

Keep in mind that some blood pressure drugs may adversely affect your blood sugar level. Blood pressure drugs can also cause impotence like beta blockers. Diuretics are also used to treat blood pressure in diabetic patients specially elderly individuals. As adequate control of blood pressure usually requires more than one drug, most health care providers use ACE inhibitors first then add other anti-hypertension drugs like diuretics.