Everything You Should Know About High Blood Pressure and Type 2 Diabetes

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is common in people with type 2 diabetes. These two conditions can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke, so it’s especially important to seek treatment or prevention.

Diabetes affects about 37.3 million people in the United States. Among people ages 18 or older who live with diabetes, an estimated 73.6% have hypertension, aka high blood pressure.

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Your arteries move blood from your heart to other parts of your body. Blood pressure usually falls and rises throughout the day.

You can measure blood pressure by looking at two numbers: systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure in the arteries during the beating of the heart. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests in between beats.

Normal blood pressure levels should be lower than 120/80 mmHg. Hypertension occurs if your blood pressure is consistently above this level on a daily basis.

Both type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure can lead to complications such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. So what’s the relationship between these two conditions? We’ll explain — plus ways to manage and prevent high blood pressure.

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Risk factors and connection

Some of the major driving factors for both diabetes and high blood pressure include living a sedentary lifestyle and excessive calorie intake. Having diabetes also increases your risk of high blood pressure. Insulin resistance in people with diabetes increases your risk as well.

High blood pressure and diabetes are closely linked due to a number of common risk factors, including blood vessel inflammation, atherosclerosis (a buildup of material inside the blood vessels that narrows them), and dyslipidemia (an imbalance of fats in your blood).

Other risk factors for high blood pressure include:

• smoking
• excessive consumption of alcohol or caffeine
• the way you cope with stress
• your age
• a family history of high blood pressure

Additionally, environmental, social, and economic inequities can lead to the development of diabetes and high blood pressure. Black Americans are disproportionately affected by high blood pressure, partly due to food deserts and environmental pollution.

Symptoms of high blood pressure

High blood pressure typically develops over time. It doesn’t usually show any signs or symptoms, so it’s sometimes called the “silent killer.”

When symptoms appear, they typically involve:

• headaches
• irregular heart rhythms
• nose bleeds
• buzzing in ears
• changes in vision

Severe high blood pressure can lead to the following:

• nausea
• fatigue
• vomiting
• chest pain
• muscle tremors
• confusion
• anxiety

Measuring your blood pressure is the only option to detect hypertension. People with diabetes should see their doctor regularly to assess their blood pressure levels and risk for high blood pressure and other complications. You can also measure your blood pressure at home using automated devices.

Complications of high blood pressure

Unmanaged high blood pressure can cause serious complications, resulting in the damage of essential organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys.

Heart disease

High blood pressure can harden the arteries, thereby decreasing the flow of oxygen and blood to the heart, which can lead to heart disease.

This can result in:

• chest pain (angina)
• heart attack due to the blockage of blood supply to the heart
• heart failure, where the heart is unable to pump enough oxygen and blood to other parts of the body
• an irregular heartbeat that can cause sudden death

Stroke

High blood pressure can block the arteries that supply oxygen and blood to the brain, resulting in a stroke. Moreover, high blood pressure in midlife may lead to the development of dementia and lower cognitive function later in life.

Kidney disease

High blood pressure can increase the risk of chronic kidney disease that might result in kidney failure.

How to prevent high blood pressure

Making certain lifestyle changes is one of the first steps you should take to lower your blood pressure levels. You can prevent high blood pressure by:

• reducing your salt intake
• eating more fruits and vegetables
• engaging in regular physical activity
• reducing your consumption of alcohol
• avoiding smoking
• reducing the intake of trans fat and saturated fat in diets
• managing and reducing stress

Treating high blood pressure with medication

For some people, lifestyle changes may not be enough. Your doctor may recommend medications that can help lower blood pressure and prevent complications.

Medications include:

• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors: This includes lisinopril (Qbrelis) or ramipril (Altace).
• Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs): This includes telmisartan (Micardis) or valsartan (Diovan). These are typically given to those who can’t tolerate ACE inhibitors.
• Diuretics: Also known as water pills, these decrease blood pressure by helping your body excrete sodium and water.
• Calcium channel blockers (CCBs): This includes medications like amlodipine (Norvasc) and felodipine (Plendil).
• Adrenergic receptor antagonists: This includes alpha-, beta-, and a combination of alpha- and beta-blockers. Among them, alpha-beta-blockers show the highest reduction in blood pressure compared with the other two.
• Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists: These are particularly effective against resistant high blood pressure, which is more common in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity.

The takeaway

High blood pressure is common among people with type 2 diabetes. It’s essential to see a healthcare professional on a regular basis to have your blood pressure levels measured.

Keeping track of these levels and making certain lifestyle changes can prevent you from experiencing serious complications such as heart disease and stroke.