Hypertension and Diabetes

[gardengnome42]

It is said that 50% of diabetics develop high blood pressure eventually. Does anyone know whether it works the other way round and hypertension acts as a risk for type 2? I do have high blood pressure but take medication to control it, quite successfully, so don't know whether that is relevant or not.

 

[ziggy_w]

Hi @gardengnome42,

Some researchers seem to believe that high blood pressure is due to high circulating insulin levels (due to insulin resistance) rather than to high blood glucose levels. So, if this is true, you will probably see high blood pressure levels without necessarily being diagnosed with diabetes or even prediabetes -- as long as your pancreas can keep up with the high insulin demand. However, the way I see it lowering your insulin resistance is the best way to deal with both. This can be done by either diet or exercise or both.

Personally, since I have adopted a low-carb diet, both my blood sugar levels as well as my blood pressure have come down. Blood pressure was 135/85 and is now 110/70.

 

[Sam50]

I think that high BP is a risk factor for many conditions, diabetes included. If you control/lower your BP then it can only be good for your health overall in the long run. It is the complete risk profile that you have to take into account. Not all overweight people develop diabetes and BP. Plenty of skinny people who have both high BG and high BP, Stress is a major player in developing any condition....

 

[Bluetit1802]

High blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, excess body fat around the waist, and T2 diabetes are all related under the umbrella "metabolic syndrome".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_syndrome

Strangely, when I was diagnosed I only had 2 of the 5 listed markers rather than the 3 that are said to confirm metabolic syndrome.

 

[britishpub]

I was diagnosed with Hypertension in 2012. At the time I had excess glucose in my urine, but passed an OGTT so wasn’t diagnosed as T2D. My BMI was somewhere between 34 and 35.

I was put on Amlodopine which brought my BP down from the 195/100 it was to somewhere around 150/90.

After being diagnosed as T2D in 2015 I lost a load of weight and my BP is now normal.

 

[gardengnome42]

Thanks for your replies. It's interesting as I know we are all different. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure of 163/96 in 2013 [NHS MOT] and at 70 yrs was put onto medication which controlled it and now it averages mostly at around 120/75. It was a year later that I was able to get my medical notes online and noticed the HbA1c had been 41 at that time. I queried why nobody had mentioned that it was on the high side a year earlier and was told to have it done again [I did and it was the same]and was just told that 41 was still normal but that it would rise. It was 43 six months ago and I'm due to have another blood test this week. Because of the hypertension I do get the full blood tests each year and my cholesterol total is 6.7, but the HDL is 2.6 and the ratio also is 2.6. They were fine with those numbers.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Good luck with your blood tests. Let us know how you go on.

By the way, you should also get full blood tests every year because of your pre-diabetes! If you go over to diabetes, they will be every 3 to 6 months initially. Fingers crossed this is not the case.