Diabetes and Hypertension occur together so frequently that they are officially considered to be “comorbidities” (diseases likely to be present in the same patient). If either is not managed well it can make the other more difficult to treat, and high blood pressure makes diabetes management a bit complicated in managing.
Diabetes and high blood pressure tend to occur together because they share certain #Physiological traits –- that is, the effects caused by each disease tend to make the other disease more likely to occur. In the case of diabetes and high blood pressure, these effects include:
-Diabetes increases the total amount of fluid in the body, which tends to raise blood pressure
-Diabetes can decrease the ability of the blood vessels to stretch, increasing average blood pressure
-Changes in the way the body produces and handles insulin can directly cause increases in blood pressure
Though these common biological traits partially explain why diabetes and high blood pressure are such a common pair, in many cases, the two diseases are likely to occur together simply because they share a common set of risk factors.
Some important shared risk factors are: —
-Being overweight significantly increases the risk of both diabetes and hypertension.
-High-fat diets rich in salt and processed sugars are known to contribute to the development of organ problems that can lead to both diabetes and high blood pressure
-A low level of physical activity makes insulin less effective (which can lead to diabetes) and can contribute to the development of stiff blood vessels, increasing the risk of high blood pressure.
Preventive strategies for both high blood pressure and diabetes usually focus on these specific risk factors. Tight control of blood sugar will go a long way in ensuring B.P does not does not pose challenges in Diabetes Management.
