ABSTRACT
Individuals with diabetes are at substantially greater risk of cardiovascular diseases than those without. Prospective observational studies suggest that the risk of fatal or non-fatal stroke is 2-3 fold greater among diabetics than nondiabetics [1-3], findings that cannot be explained by relative hyperglycaemia alone. However, raised blood pressure is common among individuals with diabetes [4,5] and blood pressure is a strong independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, particularly stroke [6]. In this chapter, we examine evidence of the benefits of blood pressure lowering therapy in preventing stroke among diabetics with or without hypertension.
