Management issues in hypertensive diabetics

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus and hypertension are common clinical conditions that often co-exist. This combination has been called the deadly duet to emphasise the increased cardiovascular risk when the two conditions co-exist. Hypertension occurs more commonly in diabetics than in comparable non-diabetics, as the prevalence of hypertension in diabetics is about two times higher than that of hypertension as observed in the general population. In type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension is often present as part of a possible common underlying metabolic abnormality, such as insulin resistance. However, in type 1 diabetes mellitus, hypertension is often due to the onset of diabetic nephropathy.