Diabetes opens people to other noncommunicable diseases like obesity, retinopathy and cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and hypertension. A recent study by researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine sought to understand how common high blood pressure (BP) was among people with diabetes. They measured the BP of 172 adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and asked for their opinions on being screened during their eye exams.

Uncontrolled blood pressure was a common finding among the patients. Of the entire cohort, only about one in 12 had a normal blood pressure reading. Roughly half of the patients had stage 2 hypertension. They also found that about 10.5% had BP levels in the hypertensive crisis range—a level at which BP becomes a medical emergency because, if left untreated, it can lead to serious events such as a heart attack or stroke.

Having their blood pressure checked at the eye doctor was considered reasonable and acceptable by 93% of patients, as many were unaware they had a medical condition that needed attention, and some were under the impression that their BP was under control.