General Recommendations for Diabetic Patients and Blood Pressure
People with diabetes and high blood pressure are more at risk of having a heart attack or stroke. So, it's important to know how to look after your blood pressure.
- What is the relation between blood pressure and diabetes?
- People with diabetes are more at risk of developing high blood pressure, a condition also known as hypertension.
- High levels of sugar in your blood can lead to atherosclerosis, a condition where the arteries harden.
- This makes it harder for blood to flow around the body, increasing the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
- Symptoms
High blood pressure is sometimes called a silent problem or the silent killer, as it usually has no symptoms. Some people with very high blood pressure report headaches, but that’s rare. Symptoms of high blood pressure may include headache, dizziness, and blurred vision.
- Causes
- For most people, there’s no single cause of high blood pressure. But we know some things can make you more at risk.
- High blood pressure is twice as likely to strike a person with diabetes than a person without diabetes.
- Risk Factors
Risk factors for developing high blood pressure include:
- genetics,
- having a family history of high blood pressure, and
- certain lifestyle factors such as being overweight, eating a lot of salt, not eating much fruit and vegetables, not taking much exercise, and drinking a lot of alcohol.
- Complications
The combined impact of diabetes and high blood pressure can increase the risk of
- cardiovascular disease,
- kidney disease,
- eye problems
- heart attack
- stroke
- Prevention
The ADA recommends the following to help prevent the onset of high blood pressure:
- Reduce your salt intake,
- engage in stress-relieving activities,
- exercise regularly,
- get to and stay at a healthy weight,
- avoid excessive alcohol intake,
- stop smoking,
- avoid exposure to second-hand smoke (Passive Smokers).