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Diabetes and blood pressure
Overview
People with diabetes have a higher risk for heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease. Your doctor or nurse should check your blood pressure at every visit. Ask your doctor what your target blood pressure is as it may differ from people without diabetes. Exercising (such as walking), eating low-salt foods, and losing weight (if you are overweight) can lower your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is too high, your doctor will prescribe drugs to lower it.
Review Date 5/20/2024
Updated by: Sandeep K. Dhaliwal, MD, board-certified in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Springfield, VA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
