Ask your healthcare provider about aspirin. Some people with high blood pressure should take aspirin to prevent heart disease and stroke. But this isn’t true for everyone with high blood pressure and diabetes. Your primary care provider can help you make that decision based on your risks and other health conditions.
Visit your primary care provider regularly. They can help you stay on top of your high blood pressure, diabetes, and other risk factors like high cholesterol.
The bottom line
Diabetes and high blood pressure are closely related, and they often act together to cause other health complications. Without treatment, both conditions can cause damage to the heart, blood vessels, and vital organs.
Lifestyle changes — like losing weight, staying active, and cutting back on smoking — are the first treatments for both diabetes and high blood pressure. Many people with diabetes also need medications to lower blood pressure.
If you have diabetes and high blood pressure, keep in close contact with your healthcare team. The better you manage both of these conditions, the lower your risk will be for heart disease and stroke.
