CAN DIABETES AFFECT BLOOD PRESSURE?
The connection You Need To know!
Hello Dear Healthy Friend,
I trust that you are doing well, on this week’s newsletter, I have decided to write to you about a topic that a client once asked about diabetes and how it can affect blood pressure.
Before I begin to answer this question, I would first like to create a general picture of what diabetes is and explain it to you in a way that makes it more understandable.
WHAT IS DIABETES
According to the World Health Organization, Diabetes is a chronic condition that is diagnosed and monitored with blood glucose testing. It is a health condition that affects anyone from any age range and is a result of too much sugar in the blood; also known as high blood glucose.
Diabetes can occur in different forms;
Gestational diabetes is a form of high blood sugar that affects pregnant women
Prediabetes is a state in which the blood sugar level is high but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. However, it can turn to type 2 diabetes in 10 years or less
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin. This usually occurs in adolescence.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose) In this case, the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or resists insulin.
I would also like to create a picture of what High Blood Pressure is, in case you have been hearing about it but have no idea what it is and why it happens;
WHAT IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
Blood pressure occurs by the force of blood pushing itself against the artery walls. Now, whenever the heart beats, it pumps blood into these arteries which also results in the highest blood pressure when the heart contracts and pumps blood. High blood pressure then occurs when the arteries develop a significant increase against the blood flow, which can lead to the heart pumping harder than usual to circulate blood.
Diabetes can affect blood pressure in many ways;
1.    Diabetes alters a lot of functions in the body because of the lack of enough insulin or insulin resistance.
2.    It causes damage by attacking the kidneys which in turn retain salt and water and then raise the blood pressure
3.    Diabetes damages small blood vessels which causes the walls of the blood vessels to stiffen and start malfunctioning, this leads to high blood pressure
4.    Diabetes also damages the arteries and exposes them to hardening which is called atherosclerosis and this leads to high blood pressure
5.    Typically, diabetes can affect blood pressure because when you have diabetes, high blood sugar can destroy the blood vessels and nerves that help your heart pump. This creates a strain on your heart and blood vessels.
6.    Diabetes can affect high blood pressure and high blood pressure can also affect diabetes.
Normally, people with diabetes should have a blood pressure of not more than 130/80 but to achieve this, they may need to be placed on hypertensive drugs.
If you have diabetes, you are very likely or even twice as likely to develop high blood pressure.
Diabetes and high blood pressure often occur simultaneously. So, it is typical for you to have diabetes and high blood pressure at the same time.
This could lead to heart disease, kidney problems, and even stroke.
To prevent diabetes;
1.    Try losing extra weight
2.    Engage in physical exercises to keep fit
3.    Eat healthy food and not just any type of food
4.    Quit smoking
5.    Lower your stress level
6.    Quit all and any form of tobacco intake
7.    Drink plenty water
8.    Reduce sugar intake
9.    Avoid fizzy drinks
10. Avoid too much fatty foods
You can also prevent high blood pressure by;
1.    Eating healthy
2.    Maintaining a healthy weight
3.    Exercising daily
4.    Sleeping well
5.    Quitting smoking
6.    Avoiding strenuous activities
7.    Limiting Alcohol intake
Conclusion
Diabetes can cause high blood pressure and vice versa. Diabetes affects blood pressure in plenty of ways and can lead to more disastrous illnesses like stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, and eye diseases. This could lead to an overall shutdown of the entire body.
It is important to check your blood pressure regularly and more importantly when you have diabetes.
If you suffer from diabetes, kindly see your physician regularly, take your prescribed medications, and order a ‘special diabetes check’ meal plan from me to keep your eating in check.
Dear healthy friend, your overall well-being is my greatest priority and I will be glad if you take into account all these, and keep living a healthy life.
Kindly share this newsletter, comment, and like.
Casandra Ayodele
HealthmartwithCassie
REFERENCES
You might appreciate this podcast:
https://soberchristiangentlemanpodcast.substack.com/p/s1-ep-11-scgp-rebroadcast-4e5