HYPERTENSION AND DIABETES MELLITUS

Zankhana V Shetty

Diabetes Educator

Fortis Hospital, Mulund

Diabetes and hypertension prevalence is increasing in India and they are overlapping each other. Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are the major cause of both diabetes and hypertension in India The recommended blood pressure target is usually below 140/90mmHg for people with diabetes For diagnosis of hypertension in people with diabetes as per the position statement released by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in 2021 cut-off of 140/90 mm Hg. Hypertension is the silent killer. Nearly two-thirds of adults with diabetes have blood pressure greater than 130/80 mm Hg or taking medications for hypertension and one-third of people with high blood pressure are unaware of it Hence your blood pressure is one of the most important markers of health, especially for a person with diabetes. Hypertension and diabetes are components of metabolic syndrome. Diabetes and hypertension often go hand-in-hand as both are lifestyle diseases High blood pressure affects two times more people with diabetes than normal people

Why is controlling blood pressure important for people with diabetes?

Uncontrolled High blood sugar levels can cause high blood pressure and high blood pressure can cause organ damage to the eye, heart, brain, and kidneys

There is a strong link between diabetes and hypertension They share common metabolic pathways such as sympathetic nervous system fight or flight response, Renin- AngiotensinAldosterone-System(RAAS), oxidative stress, resistance, and regulation of inflammation, these pathways will interact with others and form a vicious twin cycle Nitric oxide helps in expanding the blood vessels And high sugar will inhibit NO which leads to the narrowing of the blood vessel and cause high blood pressure. There is a strong genetic influence in the development of diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome