Blood pressure, is the pressure of blood against the side walls of blood vessels. It is the blood pressure that drives the flow of blood along the blood vessels to the tissues and organs, bringing an abundance of nutrients and oxygen and carrying away metabolic waste and carbon dioxide. Under normal circumstances, blood pressure always fluctuates within a limited range. However, in some cases, such as advanced age, chronic stress, excessive salt intake, and certain diseases, blood pressure can exceed normal levels and become what is known as “hypertension”. In the past, it was believed that hypertension was a normal compensatory response of the body to cope with physiological demands, an erroneous view that was not corrected until the middle and end of the last century. A large number of studies and facts prove that long-term hypertension can lead to dysfunction and organic damage to the heart, brain, kidneys and other organs, and must be promptly intervened and treated. Diabetes + hypertension Diabetics are a common and special group. The number of people with diabetes is large, and hypertension is the most common concomitant disease of diabetes, so the population of people with diabetes combined with hypertension is extremely large. What’s more, “diabetes + hypertension” can have a synergistic effect of “1+1>3”, significantly increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, nephropathy, retinopathy and other complications. In addition, because diabetic patients are more prone to “postural hypotension” and abnormal circadian rhythm of blood pressure, the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension have become more demanding. Blood pressure control goals for diabetic patients The blood pressure control goals for patients with hypertension vary from person to person due to genetic background, physical condition, and underlying disease. For most patients with simple hypertension, it is generally recommended to maintain blood pressure at 140/90 mmHg or less. However, in order to adequately reduce the risk of complications, more stringent blood pressure management is necessary for diabetic patients, and control to 130/80 mmHg or less is recommended. In recent years, there have also been a number of medical findings advocating a moderate relaxation of blood pressure control requirements for diabetic patients. However, for those diabetic patients who are younger and have not yet developed complications, the goal should still be strict. It should be reminded that for a small number of elderly patients, blood pressure that is too low is instead likely to cause more adverse events, and it is best not to go below 130/70 mmHg. Antihypertensive treatment for diabetes combined with hypertension As with common hypertension, good lifestyle management is the most important way to lower blood pressure in patients with diabetes combined with hypertension. It includes health education, reasonable diet, regular exercise, smoking cessation and salt restriction, weight control, and maintaining a good state of mind. In terms of drug treatment, it is advisable to give priority to long-acting preparations that are simple to take and have a smooth effect. The medication should start with small doses and be adjusted gradually according to the condition to prevent the blood pressure from falling too fast or too low. If the blood pressure is high, it is recommended to choose the combination of two antihypertensive drugs from the beginning. The following five categories of drugs are suitable for patients with diabetes combined with hypertension: 1. ACEI class (suffixed with “priligy”, such as captopril, enalapril, etc.); 2, CCB class (suffixed with “diphenhydramine”, such as nifedipine, amlodipine, etc.); 4, thiazide diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide); 5, selective beta-blockers (suffixed with “Lol”, such as metoprolol, bisoprolol, etc.). Among them, ACEI class and ARB class drugs not only have clear antihypertensive effect, but also can delay the progress of complications, and are the first choice of drugs for diabetic patients. In conclusion For patients with diabetes combined with hypertension, blood glucose and blood pressure are the focus of treatment. In addition, various unfavorable factors such as dyslipidemia, obesity and smoking must also be given comprehensive intervention and management. If we compare health to a bucket, blood pressure, blood glucose and blood lipids are the planks of the bucket, and we should not only care about one of them, but ignore the other short boards. Only if all these boards are qualified, can we better protect our health barrel and not let the source of life inside the barrel be lost early.