Quality of Care
Diabetes Care – Controlling High Blood Pressure
The graph above shows VA medical center scores compared with non-VA hospital scores for controlling blood pressure in patients with diabetes. The percentages represent the number of patients with diabetes who received the recommended tests or treatments to control their blood pressure. For this measure, a higher percentage indicates a higher quality of care, with 100 percent being the target.
What is this measure?
Blood pressure is the pressure of blood inside veins and arteries as it flows through the body. People are considered to have high blood pressure, also known as “hypertension”, when their blood pressure readings are above 140/90 (mm Hg) on at least two occasions. High blood pressure can help cause or worsen the effects of diabetes complications like heart, eye, and kidney disease.
What are we measuring?
It is recommended that individuals between 18 and 75 years old with diabetes receive a blood pressure test at least once a year. The graph above shows the percentage of diabetics in this age range that had their blood pressure below 140/90 (mm Hg) during the year.
Why is this important?
High blood pressure can worsen the effects of diabetes on heart, eye, and kidney function. Making sure a healthy blood pressure is maintained is very important.
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