Overview
Diabetes with high blood pressure can cause many health complications. Diabetes and high blood pressure often coexist. High blood pressure or hypertension is when the systolic blood pressure is more than 140 mmHg and diastolic more than 90 mmHg. Diabetic patients may already have hypertension before the disease or after. In diabetes, the high levels of glucose cause damage to the blood vessels as well as the kidneys which help to regulate blood pressure. Hence, this can lead to high blood pressure. Risk factors for diabetes with hypertension are a family history of diabetes and hypertension, obesity, alcohol, smoking, sedentary lifestyle and kidney disease. Diabetes with high blood pressure can be prevented and treated with ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, diuretics, practising healthy lifestyles, quit smoking, exercise and controlling blood glucose levels. Diabetes with high blood pressure may lead to serious health complications such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, and stroke.
