Key takeaways:
If you have diabetes, you’re at higher risk of having high blood pressure. And both conditions can increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.
The first step in preventing and treating both high blood pressure and diabetes is to make healthy lifestyle changes. That means eating well, exercising regularly, and cutting down on alcohol and smoking.
When lifestyle changes aren’t enough to lower your blood pressure, medications can help. A healthcare professional can help you figure out when it’s time to start medication.
It’s common to have both diabetes and high blood pressure (hypertension) at the same time. As many as 2 in 3 people with diabetes report that they have high blood pressure or take blood pressure medication.
These two conditions work together to increase the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). ASCVD can lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, and more. So, if you have both diabetes and high blood pressure, you’re at higher risk of ASCVD than if you have either diabetes or high blood pressure alone.
That means if you have diabetes and hypertension, it’s extra important to treat or prevent high blood pressure.
How are high blood pressure and diabetes related?
People with high blood pressure are more likely to have diabetes. And people with diabetes are more likely to have high blood pressure. There’s a close relationship between the two, but the exact cause and effect is still being worked out.
Diabetes and hypertension have similar effects on blood vessels. High blood sugar levels in diabetes inflames and damages the blood vessels. Hypertension also does this, by increasing the stress on blood vessel walls.
There’s some evidence of early changes to small and large blood vessels in the body before diabetes and high blood pressure are even diagnosed. This raises the possibility that these two conditions interact somehow, or even that they share a common cause. More research is needed to be sure.
What’s certain is that blood vessels can narrow when they’re stressed and damaged. And that affects how blood flows to major organs. That’s why both diabetes and hypertension can lead to health issues like:
The good news is that the better you manage your diabetes and blood pressure, the healthier your blood vessels will be. Close management also lowers your risk for life-threatening complications.
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