Just 50.7% of people with diabetes achieved target blood pressure of 130/80 mmHg during 2009/10, and this percentage has barely improved since the previous year. If these figures – based on National Diabetes Audit information about England – were mirrored across the UK then it would mean that more than 1.4 million of the 2.9 million people with diabetes have high blood pressure.
A recent Diabetes UK survey showed that nine out of ten people with diabetes (91%) receive an annual blood pressure check. But the charity warns that more needs to be done to help a person with high blood pressure to bring it under control, whether that be through medication, or support in improving diet and stopping smoking.
Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “People with diabetes need to know that high blood pressure can increase their risk of complications such as heart disease, kidney failure and stroke. Measuring blood pressure is only the start of a process. Once a person with high blood pressure is identified, healthcare professionals need to work with them to bring it down to an acceptable level.”
