Importance of intensive blood pressure control in type 2 diabetes: Mechanisms, treatments and current guidelines.

Observational and interventional studies have shown that intensified blood pressure (BP) reduction can benefit people with diabetes. Because of their special haemodynamic properties, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers are recommended. The results of the BP arm of the ADVANCE study strongly support the recently updated European Society of Cardiology/European Association of Diabetes recommendations for the treatment of BP in people with diabetes, which recommend a target systolic/diastolic BP of 130/80 mmHg with few exceptions, and a fixed combination of an RAAS blocker with a diuretic or a calcium channel blocker as first-line treatment.