Diabetes patients with high blood pressure may be at risk of developing a stroke, finds a study by Chinese researchers.

The study published in the journal Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, showed that systolic blood pressure – the top number that measures the pressure in arteries when the heart beats -- was associated with stroke risk in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

“Cumulative systolic blood pressure independently predicts stroke in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus and provides an incremental predictive value for stroke compared with baseline BP assessments,” said the team from the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in China.

For the study, the team included 8,282 participants. In the 6.36 years of follow-up, 324 (3.91 per cent) and 305 (3.68 per cent) patients had any and nonfatal stroke events, respectively.

The results showed that cumulative systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure independently predicted a high risk of stroke.

“A strong dose-response relationship between cumulative BP and stroke was identified, and conventional risk factors combined with cumulative SBP improved prediction efficiency,” the team said.

Both diabetes and hypertension are major public health challenges globally. Diabetes’ association with increased risk of stroke is well known. Studies have shown that diabetics have a two-to four-fold increased risk of ischemic stroke compared to those without the blood sugar condition.

Diabetics with stroke also experience “prolonged hospital stays, enhanced disability, and elevated mortality.” On the other hand, high blood pressure, a common among diabetics, “represents the most commonly diagnosed modifiable risk factor for stroke,” the study showed.