Diabetes and hypertension: What you must know

Both diabetes and hypertension share common risk factors, such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and genetics. These factors can contribute to the development of both conditions.

Hypertension Symptoms

Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels.

When symptoms do occur, they can include early morning headaches, nosebleeds, irregular heart rhythms, vision changes, and buzzing in the ears. Severe hypertension can cause fatigue, nausea, vomiting, confusion, anxiety, chest pain, and muscle tremors. It is important to monitor blood pressure regularly.

The Link between the two

There are a few reasons why hypertension might occur before diabetes. One reason is that hypertension can damage the kidneys, which can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a condition where the body's cells don't respond normally to insulin, a hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy. When cells are resistant to insulin, glucose builds up in the blood, which can lead to diabetes.

A study shows that hypertension is twice as frequent in patients with diabetes compared to those who do not have diabetes. The combination of diabetes and hypertension can create a harmful cycle. High blood sugar levels can contribute to stiffening and narrowing of blood vessels, increasing blood pressure.  and can exacerbate each other's effects. Elevated blood pressure, in turn, can worsen insulin resistance and contribute to diabetes progression.

It's important to note that not everyone who has hypertension will develop diabetes, and not everyone who has diabetes will have hypertension. However, if you have either condition, it's important to manage it carefully to reduce your risk of developing the other condition.

Having either diabetes or hypertension significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. When both conditions coexist, the risk is compounded, making cardiovascular complications a serious concern.

Take the following actions to manage hypertension and diabetes better

• Eat a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium
• Exercise regularly
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Quit smoking
• Limit alcohol intake
• Manage Stress
• Take medications as prescribed by your doctor
• Don’t miss regular check ups

Given their interconnection, individuals with either condition should be vigilant about monitoring the other. In order to keep your blood sugar level in check and to avoid a compounded effect on hypertension, consider adding 100% natural, high-fiber supplement like  Actifiber Natural Sugar Control to your diet.

Add a sachet of ActiFiber to each of the 2 main meals that have the goodness of fiber and prebiotic which helps in regulating blood glucose levels and keeps us energized between meals too. It dissolves easily with no taste, odour or colour thus blending into your regular diet effortlessly.