Hypertension

By Andee on Nov 17, 2008 | Reply

Yes. Diabetics are highly likely to have hypertension.

By emily m on Nov 19, 2008 | Reply

yes there is a link between the two as if you have diabetes you can have high blood sugar. then water from the surrounding cells diffuses out into the blood by osmosis and therefore there is more volume of blood in the arteries and veins ect… this can give high blood pressure as there is more blood to pump round x x x x x x

By lisa j on Nov 20, 2008 | Reply

Yes there is a link between diabetes and hypertension, in fact more than half of all people with type II diabetes go onto develop hypertension.

Diabetes can cause the arteries to harden which then restricts the flow of blood and can lead to high blood pressure.

It’s important to keep blood pressure under control because When a person has both diabetes and hypertension their risk of heart attack, heart failure and kidney malfunction increases.

Managing blood pressure can be helped by making some lifestyle changes.

- Eating a diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and meat and dairy in moderation. Reduce salt intake to no more than 5 - 6 gram of salt a day and keep alcohol intake to a minimum.
- Exercise is great for reducing blood pressure, but see you doctor to find out what exercises are safe for you. Good options are 30mins a day brisk walking, swimming or cycling.
- Reduce weight if you’re carrying extra pounds. The healthy diet and exercise will help with this.
- If you’re constantly stressed try and find ways to reduce it - stress can cause an increase in blood pressure.
- And of course, if you’re a smoker its time to try really hard to give up as smoking with both diabetes and hypertension is a real health risk.

If blood pressure can not be controlled with lifestyle changes you may need medication, however some blood pressure meds can impact on blood glucose levels.