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FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about Diabetes and Hypertension

(This website is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as recommending specific treatments or rendering medical advice. You should not rely on any information in this website to replace evaluations with qualified health care professionals to address your specific medical condition. Contact your health care provider for specific information concerning your disease and its treatment. Some of the information contained below is excerpted from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Diabetes Information web site, for up-to-date information visit their site at http://www.fda.gov/diabetes/).

What is diabetes?
How do I know if I have diabetes?
What factors increase my risk of getting diabetes?
How will my doctor test me for diabetes?
How can I reduce my chance of getting diabetes?
I have been diagnosed with Type II diabetes, why do I also need to be concerned about high blood pressure?
I get my blood pressure taken at my doctor's office; why should I also take my blood pressure at home?
What disease conditions can result from diabetes and hypertension?
I have heard that high blood pressure and diabetes can lead to kidney disease, is this true?
I am excited about the DUO-CARE combined blood glucose and blood pressure monitor; do I need a doctor's prescription to purchase one?
Can I use glucose test strips supplied by another manufacturer?
Where can I find more information about diabetes and high blood pressure?

How do I know if I have diabetes?

As many as 50 percent (one-half) of persons with type 2 diabetes are unaware that they have the disease. For this reason, it is particularly important to pay attention to the signs and symptoms of diabetes and its risk factors.

Some of the signs of either type 1 or type 2 diabetes are:

being very thirsty
urinating often
feeling very hungry or tired
losing or gaining weight without trying
having sores that heal slowly
having dry, itchy skin
losing the feeling in your feet or having tingling in your feet
having blurry eyesight

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often develop over a short period of time. In type 2 diabetes, symptoms develop more slowly, and some persons never have any symptoms of the disease. If you are regularly having any of these signs and symptoms, you should tell your doctor.

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What factors increase my risk of getting diabetes?

Although researchers don't fully understand why some persons get diabetes and others don't, it is clear that certain factors increase your risk. You are at risk for having diabetes if:

Your mother, father, sister, or brother has diabetes;
You are African American, Hispanic American/Latino, American Indian, Native Alaskan, Asian American, or Pacific Islander;
You have high blood pressure (at or above 130/80);
You have a history of diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or gave birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds at birth;
You are overweight or obese;
You are inactive or have a sedentary lifestyle; or
You are older than 45 years of age.

If you have one or more of these risk factors, even if you are experiencing no symptoms, your doctor may want to test you for diabetes.

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