Is it important to Manage hypertension in diabetic primary care patients ???

" The pathogenesis of hypertension in patients with diabetes is complex, involving a range of biological and environmental factors and genetic predisposition. As a result, hypertension in people with diabetes incurs higher associated risks and adverse events. Mortality and morbidity are heightened in diabetes patients who do not achieve BP control.
" Large randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials have shown that reducing BP pharmacologically is single-handedly the most effective way to reduce rates of death and disability in patients with diabetes, particularly associated cardiovascular risks. Often, combinations of 2 or more drugs (diuretics, angiotensin- converting enzyme inhibitors, â-blockers, angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, spironolactone, etc) are required for pharmacotherapy to be effective, particularly for patients in whom BP is difficult to control. However, the health care costs associated with extensively lowering BP are substantially less than the costs associated with treating the complications that can be prevented by lowering BP. "

Canadian Family Physician 57 (9): 997-1002 © 2011 by The College of Family Physicians of Canada    Hypertension in people with type 2 diabetes. Norm R.C. Campbell, Richard E. Gilbert, Lawrence A. Leiter, et al. Correspondence to Norm R.C. Campbell: hyperten@ucalgary.ca