A new study suggests that routine eye exams could play an important role in detecting hidden high blood pressure in people with diabetes. Researchers found that only 8% of diabetic patients had normal blood pressure, while nearly half had stage 2 hypertension and over 10% had blood pressure levels high enough to qualify as a medical emergency. Surprisingly, many patients believed their blood pressure was well controlled when it was not. Since 93% of participants supported blood pressure screening during eye appointments, researchers recommend making these checks a routine part of ophthalmology visits to identify hypertension early and reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and vision loss.
Read more at MedicalXpress