Target blood pressure for patients with type 2 diabetes is difficult to achieve in the setting of a busy diabetes clinic.
BACKGROUND
Target blood pressure control in patients with type 2 diabetes should be 130/85 mmHg or less; however, it is not clear how achievable this target is in clinical practice.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the adequacy of blood pressure control in patients with type 2 diabetes attending a busy outpatient clinic.


METHODS
One hundred and eight patients with type 2 diabetes were assessed for the presence of hypertension using a cut-off value of 130/85 mmHg. Antihypertensive treatment and diabetic complications were evaluated.


RESULTS
Hypertension was present in 67% of patients, in whom 90% were receiving anti-hypertensive treatment. Forty-nine per cent of the treated patients achieved target blood pressure. Of the undertreated patients, 55% were on one antihypertensive agent, 30% were on two agents and 15% were on three or more agents. The corresponding figures for the adequately treated patients were 28%, 31% and 41%, respectively (p=0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Adequate blood pressure control was underachieved in this patient group underlying the difficulty in treating blood pressure to target values in patients with type 2 diabetes in the setting of outpatient diabetes clinics. A more aggressive strategy, in particular the use of multiple antihypertensive agents should be adopted.
Agha
A
A
Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus, James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. amaragha@yahoo.com
Dillon
D
D
Corbett
M
M
Sreenan
S
S
D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence