Studies have confirmed the risk of diabetes complications is directly related to not only the blood glucose levels but also the levels of blood pressure and blood lipids, especially LDL-cholesterol.
Blood Pressure
The therapeutic goal of blood pressure for patients with both diabetes and hypertension is lower than 140/90 mmHg. However, lower than 130/80 mmHg is a more stringent goal for those with high risk of cardiovascular diseases and whom are able to achieve it without excessive treatment burden.
Blood Cholesterol
From the table below, you can learn the blood lipids goals and probably notice that the target goals are more strict for people with very high risk cardiovascular disease.
| Blood Lipids | Target Goals (mg/dL) |
|---|---|
| Total Cholesterol | Less than 200 |
| LDL (Bad Cholesterol) | Less than 100; Less than 70 for people with very high risk cardiovascular disease |
| HDL | More than 40 (Men) More than 50 (Women) |
| Triglyceride | Less than 150 |
