Several factors contribute to high blood pressure in people with diabetes. They include:

• Obesity. About 80 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes are also obese.
  
  
• Atherosclerosis. A buildup of fatty deposits on the inner walls of arteries. Unhealthy levels of cholesterol contribute to atherosclerosis.
  
  
• Kidney disease. High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels throughout the body. This can cause water retention within the blood vessels in the kidneys. In turn, blood pressure rises even more, causing more damage.
  
  
• Race and ethnicity. Black Americans, who have above-average rates of type 2 diabetes, are prone to high blood pressure and tend to develop it a younger age than people of other races.
  
  
• Genetics and family history. Researchers have identified dozens of genes that contribute to high blood pressure. The condition may run in families.
  
  
• Age and sex. The risk of high blood pressure increases as people get older. Men are more likely than women to suffer high blood pressure before age 55, but by age 74 women have higher rates of this condition.

Other contributors to high blood pressure include chronic stress, lack of exercise, smoking, excess use of alcohol, a diet high in salt or insufficient in potassium, sleep apnea, and certain medications, possibly including the popular painkillers aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen.