The American Diabetes Association released new standards of care for diabetes control and disease Dec. 12, including new, lower targets for blood pressure and cholesterol.
The standards are updated annually. This year included almost 100 new or revised recommendations, USA Today reported.
Diabetes is the leading cause of heart disease, and heart disease is the leading cause of death for people with diabetes, Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, chief science and medical officer for the ADA, told USA Today.
Here are two revised recommendations for cardiovascular care:
- Lower target for blood pressure of less than 130 over 80.
- LDL cholesterol should be a measurement of 70 for people without heart disease and 55 for those with established heart disease.
"There are a number of studies demonstrating that even lower goals result in better outcomes for people with diabetes," Dr. Gabbay said in the report.