- A retina clinic study found that high blood pressure was extremely common among adults with diabetes.
- Only around 1 in 12 patients had a normal blood pressure reading, while roughly half had stage 2 hypertension.
- Most patients were comfortable having blood pressure checked during eye appointments, suggesting eye clinics could play a wider role in vascular health.
Eye appointments for people with diabetes may be doing more than protecting vision.
A new study suggests they could also be a useful place to detect dangerously high blood pressure.
Researchers at the University of Virginia measured blood pressure in 172 adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who were attending eye clinic appointments.
The results were blunt.
Only 8.1% had a normal blood pressure reading.
Roughly half had stage 2 hypertension, meaning their readings were at least 140/90 mmHg.
More concerningly, 10.5% had readings in the hypertensive crisis range.
That is a level where blood pressure can become a medical emergency, especially if symptoms are present.
The study also exposed a gap between what people believed and what the numbers showed.
Among patients with no previous hypertension diagnosis, 85.7% had above-normal readings.
More than a third were already in stage 2 hypertension.
Even among those who thought their blood pressure was controlled, 52% still had stage 2 hypertension.
Another 8% were in hypertensive crisis range.
This matters because diabetes, high blood pressure and eye disease are deeply connected.
High blood pressure can worsen diabetic retinopathy and contribute to macular oedema, where fluid builds up in the central retina.
It also raises the risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.
Eye clinics already see many people with diabetes who carry these wider vascular risks.
So adding a simple blood pressure check is not a huge leap.
In this study, it also led to practical action.
Almost 60% were advised to contact their primary care provider.
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Around 12% needed follow-up within one to two days, and one patient was sent to emergency care.
Importantly, 93% of patients said blood pressure checks at the eye clinic were reasonable and acceptable.
That is the point that makes this feel workable.
People with diabetes already attend retinal screening and eye reviews because the eyes are vulnerable to vascular damage.
Using that visit to pick up uncontrolled blood pressure makes clinical sense.
The eye is often described as a window into blood vessel health.
This study shows that eye clinics may need to act like one.
