Physicians have been urged to increase the level of primary care response to diabetes patients with high blood pressure.

A new study from the US found that although high blood pressure poses an increased threat of heart attack, stroke and kidney problems in patients with diabetes, over half with a reading over 140/90 mm Hg will not receive medical attention for it.

Research conducted at the University of Michigan Health System and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, published in the May issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, revealed that 'clinical inertia' when it comes to high blood pressure perhaps stems from uncertainty as a result of overlapping health problems.

Lead researcher Dr Eve Kerr said: "While there are many guidelines about treating hypertension, there is an amazing lack of clarity and guidance about how many blood pressures should be taken at a clinic visit, whether those blood pressures should be averaged or whether just the lowest should be used, and how to incorporate home blood pressure readings in decisions to intensify medications.

"As long as this confusion exists, we may not make progress in treating hypertension."

Login and visit the Hypertension Knowledge CentreLogin and visit the Diabetes Knowledge Centre

• Hypertension at medical offices may not predict heart risks, says study 25/11/08
• Hypertension develops early in black men, study suggests 17/11/08
• Hypertension "a looming problem in Europe", study shows 12/11/08
• Study links hypertension in pregnancy to reduced testicular cancer risk 30/10/08
• Audio relaxation could help elderly people with hypertension, study suggests 18/09/08

• REVATIO 20 mg film-coated tablets - 49.42%
  Treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension classified as WHO functional class III, to improve exercise capacity. Efficacy has been shown in primary pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary hypertension associated with connective tissue disease ...
  
  
• THELIN Film-coated Tablets - 49.42%
  Treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension classified as WHO functional class III, to improve exercise capacity. Efficacy has been shown in primary pulmonary hypertension and in pulmonary hypertension associated with connective tissue disease ...
  
  
• ACCUPRO Tablets - 48.68%
  Hypertension - For the treatment of all grades of essential hypertension. Accupro is effective as monotherapy or concomitantly with diuretics in patients with hypertension. Congestive Heart Failure - For the treatment of congestive heart failure when given concomitantly with a diuretic and/or ...
  
  
• APRESOLINE (hypertension) - 48.56%
  Apresoline Injection: Hypertensive emergencies Hypertensive emergencies especially those associated with pre-eclampsia and toxaemia of pregnancy, hypertension with renal complications. Apresoline: Adjunct to other antihypertensives in moderate to severe hypertension ...
  
  
• CARDURA Tablets - 48.07%
  Hypertension:Cardura is indicated for the treatment of hypertension and can be used as the sole agent to control blood pressure in the majority of patients. In patients inadequately controlled on single antihypertensive therapy, Cardura may be used in combination with a thiazide diuretic, beta ...
  
  
• BETOPTIC - 47.95%
  Betoptic and Betoptic Drops: Ocular hypertension, chronic open-angle glaucoma. Betopic Suspension Single Dose: Ocular hypertension, chronic open-angle glaucoma in patients who are hypersensitive to preservatives ...