Double Trouble: Diabetes Plus Hypertension

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> Double Trouble: Diabetes Plus Hypertension

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> Take this new lifesaving strategy to your doctor

> by Teri Walsh

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> If you have diabetes and high blood pressure, the National Kidney

> Foundation (NKF) has a special message--and a new treatment--for you.

> " People with these two conditions are at increased risk for

> cardiovascular problems as well as kidney disease, " says Keane,

> MD, president of the NKF and professor of medicine at the University of

> Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. " The key is to keep even closer

> control of blood pressure than experts have recommended in the past. "

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> If you're one of the 11 million Americans with both conditions, make a

> doctor's appointment today, and bring this article along. " Despite the

> severity of these medical problems, people are largely unaware of the

> dangers, " Dr. Keane says. " The following recommendations give doctors the

> tools that will save lives. "

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> Aim for these numbers.

> If you're diabetic, work with your physician to achieve a blood pressure

> less than 130/80. Check it monthly until you've reached this goal, Dr.

> Keane suggests.

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> Discuss meds with your doctor.

> The NKF recommends aggressive treatment that could involve several

> medications, including ACE inhibitors that help prevent blood vessel

> contraction, diuretics that help rid the body of excess water waste,

> long-acting calcium channel blockers that relax blood vessels, and beta

> blockers that slow the heart rate, Dr. Keane says. The good news: Early

> treatment may forestall the need for more meds in the future.

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> Take action at home.

> While lifestyle changes haven't proved as potent at fighting off the

> repercussions of hypertensive diabetes, they are still worth pursuing,

> says Dr. Keane. Minimize fat, cholesterol, and salt in your diet, and

> don't smoke.

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