Are You at Risk?: Understanding the Relationship between Diabetes and High Blood Pressure
We all know how hypertension (elevated blood pressure) increases the risks of heart, kidney, brain, and other innumerable diseases. As per World Health Organization’s report:
“An estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30–79 years worldwide have hypertension, most (two-thirds) living in low- and middle-income countries.”
Similarly, diabetes is also increasing at a faster pace, especially among young people. With time, diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and nerves. So when high blood glucose levels and high blood pressure levels can separately damage your body, what happens when a person suffers from both diabetes and hypertension. Can there be a higher risk of getting heart attacks and strokes?
Adverse Effects of the Fusion of Diabetes and High Blood Pressure
In type 2 diabetes, your body becomes resistant to insulin. Insulin is an essential hormone for your body and needs to use blood sugar for energy. However, due to low insulin, sugar builds up in a diabetic person’s blood. Due to this, glucose cannot enter the blood cells to provide energy, and it accumulates in the bloodstream instead. When high glucose levels enter the blood vessels it can produce widespread damage to the blood vessels and kidneys. Simultaneously, with time, diabetes weakens the small blood vessels, making the walls of the blood vessels stiffen. This increases pressure, which we know as high blood pressure.
The combined impact of diabetes and high blood pressure can:
- Increase the risk of various cardiovascular diseases (including heart stroke and attack)
- Kidney diseases (decreased kidney function, progressing to dialysis)
- Vision loss and problems with blood vessels in the eyes
- Peripheral arterial disease or peripheral vascular disease (most often caused by a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries)
- Hardening of the arteries in the legs and feet
What Triggers Both These Conditions?
Diabetes and blood pressure can spike due to:
- Obesity or excess body fat
- Leading unhealthy life
- Inactive lifestyle
- Stress and Insomnia
- Smoking
Apart from this, you can get diabetes or high blood pressure due to other factors as well that can be genetic or hereditary.
Healthy Tips to Beat the Risks!
You can surely beat diabetes and high blood pressure by living a healthy life. Below mentioned tips can help you more.
- Regularly monitor your blood glucose levels and blood pressure.
You should analyze your daily, weekly and monthly readings. Apps like BeatO records all your data on the cloud and makes it easier for you to track your blood sugar online.
- Try to include exercise in your daily routine. Monitor your body weight as well.
- Follow a balanced diet. In high blood pressure, avoid salt as much as possible.
- Avoid sugar but include plenty of fruits, vegetables, fish, healthy fats, and whole grains in your diet.
- Avoid smoking and drinking.
Lifestyle changes play an important role in staying away from the risks. However, a doctor’s treatment plan is essential to accelerate your recovery process. To learn more about diabetes and its reversal, visit BeatO.
