Treatment and control of blood pressure in patients with diabetes mellitus

A study was conducted to characterize the prevalence of hypertension in patients with diabetes mellitus and the percentage of patients with diabetes and hypertension who achieved a targeted blood pressure goal ( or = 135/80 mm Hg was used to define hypertension. A final sample of 362 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was included in the study. Of these, 79% had concomitant diabetes and hypertension. Blood pressure was controlled in 175 of 270 (65%) patients. Patients who met the blood pressure goal tended to be older and weigh less than those who did not. The adjusted odds of achieving the blood pressure goal were 1.9 times higher in those patients who also achieved their low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol goal. Most patients were on at least one antihypertensive agent; approximately 39% of the 89 patients treated with monotherapy were above the blood pressure goal. Combination therapy was used in 164 patients; approximately 32% of patients treated with combination therapy were above the blood pressure goal. Among ambulatory care patients with diabetes, 79% also had hypertension. Hypertension was controlled in 65% of patients with that disorder.