More than half of patients receiving care at an academic ophthalmology clinic had unrecognised or inadequately controlled hypertension, according to a United States case series.
Investigators concluded that opportunistic blood pressure (BP) screening in ophthalmology clinics may identify “substantial undiagnosed or uncontrolled hypertension among patients with diabetes” and provide the opportunity for “timely systemic care coordination”.
The single-site case series of 172 adults with diabetes receiving retina care found half had stage 2 hypertension, and one in 10 were in hypertensive crisis. Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for diabetic retinopathy progression.
Among those without prior hypertension diagnoses, approximately seven in 10 had hypertensive-range readings, with six in 10 requiring follow-up recommendations.
In the study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology,1 adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes had in-clinic BP measurement and completed a survey on hypertension history, monitoring, perceived control, and knowledge.
“The marked discordance between patients’ perception of adequate BP control and objectively measured values underscores the potential need for systematic BP assessment at ophthalmology visits,” the authors concluded.
They said although the study’s single-site design, limited sample size, and referral-based clinic population preclude definitive conclusions about absolute prevalence, the case series “strengthens the evidence basefor incorporating BP measurement into retina clinic workflows”.
Among those without prior hypertension diagnoses, approximately seven in 10 had hypertensive-range readings, with six in 10 requiring follow-up recommendations.
Reference
- Samayamanthula S, Williams J, Cusick M, et al. Blood pressure assessment in ophthalmology clinics for patients with diabetes, JAMA Ophthalmol. Published online: June 25, 2026. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2026.2245.
