High Blood Pressure in Diabetics

Diabetes has a close relationship with high blood pressure (hypertension). Medically, these are called “comorbidities”, meaning that they are diseases likely to be present in the same patient. This is because they co-exist in many patients. Worse still, in this case both the diseases aggravate the harmful effects of each other. Diabetes has the potential to make high blood pressure more difficult to treat, and high blood pressure poses more health risks in diabetics.

Common Conditions

When you have both diabetes and high blood pressure, you may suffer from certain common conditions. These include:

• High body fluid: aiabetes tends to raise the total volume of body fluid, which, in turn, increases blood pressure.
• Arterial stiffness: aiabetes reduces the ability of the blood vessels to stretch, increasing average blood pressure.
• Insulin side-effects: The changes the body undergoes with the artificial administration of insulin can directly cause blood pressure to rise.

Common Risk Factors

The simultaneous occurrence of these two diseases explains why these two conditions are called a common pair. However, in many patients, this may be simply because they share a common set of risk factors.

The common risk factors to look out for are:

• Weight gain - If you are overweight, you are at a much higher risk of both diabetes and hypertension.
• Improper diet -If your diet is high in fatty food, and also rich in salt and processed sugars, you can easily develop organ problems that can result in both diabetes and hypertension.
• Lack of exercise - If you do not engage in regular physical activity, insulin will have less than normal effect on your body, which, in turn, can lead to diabetes. This can also result in stiff blood vessels, increasing your chances of hypertension.

Risks of Coexistence

Hypertension always aggravates the ill-effects of diabetes. On the other hand, it is true that hypertension develops in most people with diabetes.

Why does this happen?

Diabetes damages arteries and exposes them to hardening of the artery walls, a condition called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis may induce high blood pressure. If left untreated it can causes lethal consequences in the form of blood vessel damage, heart attack, stroke, heart failure or kidney failure.

Diabetes can also cause other heart and circulation problems resulting in high blood pressure. The hypertension in turn may lead to other serious problems such as coronary artery disease (heart disease), strokes, peripheral vascular disease (hardening of the arteries in the legs and feet), and heart failure. Your health is affected if your blood pressure is at the higher end of normal, a state also called pre-hypertension (120/80 to 139/89). Research indicates that pre-hypertension patients have a two to three-fold higher chance over 10 years of developing ischemic heart disease.

Ideal Blood Pressure in Diabetics

Diabetics should ideally maintain a blood pressure count of no more than 140/80. However, this may vary in individuals. The first or top count 140 here is called the “systolic pressure”.

This is the pressure in the arteries when your heart beats and fills the arteries with blood.

The second or bottom count (80 here) is called the “diastolic pressure”. This is the pressure in the arteries when your heart rests between beats, filling itself with blood for the next contraction. You must maintain a normal blood pressure, but at the same time also keep your blood sugar level under control. This is very important to prevent diabetes-related complications.

Hypertension Symptoms

High blood pressure often does not have any specific symptoms. Hence, it is essential to check your blood pressure regularly. Get it checked whenever you visit your doctor. Ask your doctor about how you can check it at home as well.

Hypertension Treatment in Diabetics

High blood pressure in diabetics is often treated with medications like ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors and ARBs (angiotensin II receptor blockers).

Although there are other high blood pressure medicines, this group of drugs is more effective. This is because ACE inhibitors and ARBs not only check high blood pressure, but they also prevent or delay kidney diseases in diabetics. The double action is a great advantage.

Stop!

Consult your medical doctor!

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