Diabetes and the effects of high blood pressure

With diabetes it's important to maintain an optimal blood sugar & cholesterol level at all times.

What you should know:
•Maintain levels of total cholesterol and LDL
•Increased blood sugars seldom occur as a result of taking medications that lower cholesterol
•Determine your specific blood sugar and cholesterol goals with your doctor

Related Videos:
•Diabetes videos, http://www.youtube.com/cvspharmacyvideos#g/c/...
•Hypertension videos, http://www.youtube.com/user/CVSPharmacyVideos...

Related Health Articles:
•Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes, also called insulin-dependent diabetes, is a disorder that occurs when your body produces little or no insulin… http://bit.ly/d7s7Vq
•Type 2 Diabetes
Today, diabetes afflicts over 20 million Americans — an increase of roughly 14 percent in just the past few years — and almost everyone knows at least one person who has it. But that doesn't mean it's well understood by most people. One out of three people with Type 2 diabetes isn't aware that they have the condition, and even those who know they have it often aren't sure how to control it… http://bit.ly/d47x1I
•Checking Your Blood Sugar
By testing your blood sugar regularly, you can track the effectiveness of your medication, make informed decisions about meals and exercise, and head off problems such as high blood sugar or low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) before it's too late… http://bit.ly/9bJ3x7
•Diet and Diabetes
Can watching my diet help me control my diabetes?… http://bit.ly/bTPoiN

Related Products:
The following are products sold by CVS/pharmacy that may be of interest to you:
CVS TRUEresult Blood Glucose Monitoring System $17.99 http://bit.ly/9UjEn5

Transcript
Hi, I'm Greg Collins and I'm a CVS pharmacist. If you have diabetes, maintaining levels of total cholesterol and LDL (or "the bad cholesterol") within a healthy target range is very important in preventing cardiac and neurological problems. However, people who suffer from both diabetes and high blood pressure are often concerned that their blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering drugs will raise their blood sugar. The truth is that this is very rare; increased blood sugars seldom occur as a result of taking medications that lower cholesterol.
No matter what, if you have diabetes it's important to maintain an optimal blood sugar level and cholesterol level at all times. According to the American Diabetes Association, the basic goal for people with diabetes is a blood sugar reading between 70 and 130 on an empty stomach, and less than 180 two hours after the start of a meal. The blood pressure goal is less than 130 over 80 and LDL goal of less than 100. Talk to your physician or diabetes educator to determine your specific goals. Proper diet, exercise, weight control, and medication all play incredibly important parts in preventing any major complications, including cardiac and neurological ones, and should be part of your daily routine.
I hope this answers any questions you may have about having diabetes and managing your high blood pressure and cholesterol. If you have any other questions, a CVS pharmacist will always be here to help.

Source: CVS Caremark Health Resources