Diabetes and high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, are dangerous enough when they occur independently. When diabetes and high blood pressure occur together, a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease doubles. Unfortunately, diabetes and high blood pressure often go hand in hand. Diabetes affects the kidneys, which affects blood pressure, which then affects the diabetes in a vicious cycle that can have extremely damaging effects on a person’s health.
The high blood sugar that is correlated with diabetes causes hardening of the arteries, known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis leads to nephropathy, or damage to the blood vessels in the kidneys. Kidney damage ultimately causes a further increase in blood pressure, because it is the job of the kidneys to regulate how much fluid is either retained in the blood vessels or excreted.
Functioning normally, the kidneys release a hormone called renin, which regulates blood pressure. For the kidneys to function properly, the tiny capillary structures in the kidney must be able to filter the fluid in the blood vessels. High blood sugar forces the kidneys to filter too much, and they become overworked and damaged. This kidney damage from too much blood sugar is known as diabetic kidney disease. Eventually, waste that should have been filtered out builds up in the blood, the kidneys begin to fail, and blood pressure rises.
The increased blood pressure, in turn, causes the diabetes to worsen even more. High blood pressure in the muscles causes the blood vessels to contract; when this happens, less blood reaches the muscle tissue. When muscle is deprived of blood flow, the muscle tissue shrinks and cannot absorb as much sugar from the blood. Because the sugar is not being absorbed into the muscles, the sugar in the blood remains elevated. This higher blood sugar eventually causes more damage to the kidneys, which elevates blood pressure yet again, and the cycle begins once more.
Controlling blood pressure and blood sugar is an extremely important part of diabetes management. Close monitoring can minimize the effects of diabetes and high blood pressure. To reduce the risk of heart disease, experts recommend keeping blood pressure below 130/80 mm Hg, though even this level is considered prehypertensive. Ideally, blood pressure should fall below 120/80 mm Hg. It is very important to have blood pressure checked regularly, because there are often no symptoms of hypertension.
Diabetic patients should also have their blood sugar checked frequently. Experts recommend keeping track of what foods, activities, and stressors affect these readings, and recording the results over time. The resulting information can then be used to help better manage the condition.
