Diabetes and Blood Pressure are Silent Killers   

Diabetes and high blood pressure are lifestyle diseases, often called silent killers, as people with diabetes and high blood pressure don’t have any obvious symptoms at first. Diabetes and high blood pressure are linked to each other and often go hand in hand.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is common in people with type 2 diabetes, and most people who have type 2 diabetes also suffer from hypertension. Altogether, each health condition makes the other worse. Let’s now discuss both the health condition in detail.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that causes a high sugar level in the blood. Our blood sugar level is regulated by insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas.

With diabetes, either the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t effectively use the insulin it produces. Over time, high blood sugar levels can cause serious health issues. Diabetes increases the risk of high blood pressure and can lead to stroke, kidney failure, and heart diseases.

Different Types of Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease, is a chronic disorder in which the immune system kills the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Some type 1 diabetes symptoms include frequent urination, thirst, constant hunger, fatigue, unintended weight loss, and weakness. People with type 1 diabetes need to take the right amount of insulin on a daily basis.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes in which the body does not use or produce insulin effectively. It can occur at any age and often develop over several years, and can remain unnoticed for a long time. Genetic and lifestyle factors are some of the common causes of type 2 diabetes.

You can manage type 2 diabetes with positive lifestyle changes, such as eating a balanced healthy diet, reducing stress, quality sleep, and practicing yoga or exercise.

 Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy and goes away after the baby’s birth. However, gestational diabetes can affect the mother’s and baby’s health.

It occurs when the body can not make enough insulin during pregnancy. Moreover, being overweight or obese can also cause gestational diabetes.

High Blood Pressure

Let us first understand; what is blood pressure? Blood pressure is the force of the circulating blood against the wall of the arteries. Normal blood pressure is vital for delivering nutrients and oxygen to tissues and organs. The unit to measure blood pressure is millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and is expressed using two numbers, systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

The first number, known as systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure exerted by the blood against the wall of the arteries when the heart beats. The second number, known as diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart relaxes between the heart beats. For example, a blood pressure of 120/80 mmHg means a systolic blood pressure of 120 and a diastolic blood pressure of 80. The normal range of blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg.

High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition in which the pressure of blood against the wall of the arteries is constantly high. It develops over several years and usually has no signs or symptoms. Checking the blood pressure on a regular basis is the only way to find the high blood pressure.

Constantly high blood pressure can cause the thickening and hardening of arteries, which can lead to several health-related complications such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and more.

Causes of High Blood Pressure

Many factors can contribute to the development of high blood pressure over time, including

  • Eating Unhealthy diet
  • Lack of physical activity
  • Health conditions, such as diabetes
  • High salt intake
  • Stress
  • Being overweight
  • Smoking
  • High alcohol consumption
  • Stress
  • Genetic

Tips to Prevent/Manage High Blood Pressure

 People can manage the high blood pressure to keep the numbers under healthy range by making healthy lifestyle changes, such as:

  • Maintain healthy body weight.
  • Eat a healthy balanced diet rich in green vegetables, fresh fruits, and fibre-rich food.
  • Stay physically active, exercise for atleast 30 minutes a day.
  • Cut down the salt consumption.
  • Manage stress
  • Stop smoking and alcohol consumption.

Additionally, along with the healthy lifestyle changes, some people also need to take medication to manage their high blood pressure.

 Conclusion

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the slow killers and among the major contributors to India’s health loss.

These two lifestyle diseases often develop together and go unnoticed with no noticeable signs and symptoms. However, these can be controlled through lifestyle changes at the right time.

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