Diabetes News Brief for High Blood Pressure Month
May 23, 2000
Diabetes and Hypertension Dangerous Partners if Left Uncontrolled
A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is often taken lightly. Many people with diabetes initially feel okay, don't need insulin or medication, and are told that serious complications are years down the road. But people with diabetes are twice as likely to develop high blood pressure--hypertension--as those without diabetes, and they are frequently hypertensive at the time they are diagnosed with the disease.
If left uncontrolled, diabetes and hypertension are a dangerous combination. Diabetes alone is a major risk factor for stroke. That risk increases significantly when high blood pressure is added to the mix. And, people with diabetes are almost twice as likely to develop heart disease as people without diabetes.
About 60 to 65 percent of people with diabetes also have high blood pressure, with African Americans more likely than whites to develop both diseases. According to Rodney Lorenz, MD, co-chair of the National Diabetes Education Program, a program of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Hypertension is a major contributor to deaths from stroke and heart disease for people with diabetes. It needs to be recognized and treated early."
The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study showed that improving blood pressure control in people with type 2 diabetes significantly reduced their risk for diabetes-related death, as well as heart disease, stroke, and other complications of diabetes. According to Lorenz, "This is good news for people with diabetes and hypertension. You can improve your health dramatically if you keep your blood sugar and your blood pressure under control."
"People with diabetes and high blood pressure should see their doctors regularly and follow these steps: eat foods to control blood sugar and salt intake, get 30 to 45 minutes of physical activity most days, quit smoking and limit alcohol intake, lose weight if needed, and take medications as prescribed," said Lorenz.
Facts You Should Know About Diabetes and High Blood Pressure
What is type 2 diabetes?
- Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body cannot make or use insulin properly.
- It usually develops in adults over the age of 40.
- 90-95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2; about 80 percent are obese.
- It is more common among some ethnic groups.
Warning signs of type 2 diabetes:
- Feeling tired or ill
- Frequent urination, especially at night
- Excessive thirst
- Weight loss
- Blurred vision
- Frequent infections
- Slow healing of sores
How to manage type 2 diabetes:
- Eat foods to control blood sugar.
- Get physically active--everyday.
- Test blood sugar regularly.
- Take oral medication and/or insulin, as prescribed.
What is high blood pressure?
- Blood pressure is a measure of the force of the circulating blood against the walls of the arteries. If you have high blood pressure, your arteries have an increased resistance to the flow of blood.
- Blood pressure is measured with two numbers. The systolic pressure, usually written as the top number, is the peak pressure at the moment when the heart contracts and pumps blood out of the heart. The diastolic pressure (bottom number) is the pressure at the moment when the heart relaxes to allow the blood to flow into the heart.
- Adults with diabetes should keep their blood pressure below 130/85.
Six ways to lower blood pressure:
- Lower salt intake.
- Get at least 30-45 minutes of physical activity most days.
- Achieve and maintain an appropriate weight.
- Limit alcohol intake.
- Quit smoking.
- Take medications as prescribed.
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CONTACT:
Jill Lucas
(202) 842-3600
Joanne Gallivan
(301) 496-6110
Page last updated: April 17, 2008
