Blood pressure and hypertension in diabetes.

Blood pressure was measured in a population-based study of diabetic retinopathy in southern Wisconsin. Persons diagnosed prior to 30 years of age and taking insulin (younger onset, n = 996) and those diagnosed at 30 years of age or older (older onset, n = 1,370) were examined. Blood pressures were measured by a standard protocol using a random-zero sphygmomanometer. In both groups of patients, systolic blood pressure increased with increasing age and tended to be higher in older onset than younger onset persons. Hypertension was present in 21.9% of the younger and 58.1% of the older onset group. Older age at examination, presence of proteinuria, larger body mass, gender, and longer duration of diabetes were significantly associated with higher systolic blood pressure.