When you were diagnosed with diabetes, you were most likely told
about the importance of monitoring your blood glucose levels,
given or prescribed a blood glucose meter, taught how to use it,
and given target blood glucose goals. But you probably weren’t
told about monitoring your blood pressure at home, even though
maintaining a healthy blood pressure level is an important part
of preventing long-term diabetes complications. For many people,
monitoring at home provides the feedback they need to reach
blood pressure goals. Multiple large studies have shown that
effective diabetes management reduces the risk of diabetes
complications. These studies have demonstrated that managing not
just blood glucose, but also blood pressure and lipids
(cholesterol and triglycerides), leads to the lowest risk of
complications such as heart disease. (For information about
blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipids targets, see
“The ABCs of Diabetes.”) Some of these conditions may stem from
high blood pressure and lipids