High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is also called hypertension, and it occurs when blood pushes against the walls of the arteries with higher-than-normal force. High blood pressure has no signs or symptoms and can lead to cardiovascular disease. If you have both diabetes and high blood pressure, your risk of heart disease doubles.
Kidney damage
Diabetes can lead to kidney damage. High blood pressure speeds up
the progression of kidney damage.
Eye disease
People with both diabetes and high blood pressure have a higher
risk of eye disease, or retinopathy.
Stroke
People with diabetes are twice as likely to have a stroke. People
with high blood pressure are six times more likely to have a stroke.
So people with both diabetes and high blood pressure are at significant
risk of having a stroke.
Risk
Factors Of High Blood Pressure
Identifying
High Blood Pressure
Prevention
Of High Blood Pressure
Treatment
Of High Blood Pressure
Risk Factors Of High Blood Pressure
Age
-The older
you are, the more likely you are to develop high blood pressure.
Gender - In the early and middle adult
years, more men have high blood pressure than women. But more women
after menopause have high blood pressure than men of the same age.
Overweight - Being overweight can make
you two to six times more likely to develop high blood pressure.
And, 90% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.
Heredity - Some families are more likely
to get high blood pressure than others. If your parents or grandparents
have or had high blood pressure, you are at a higher risk.
Medications - Some over-the-counter
medications can raise blood pressure, such as ibuprofen, cold medicine,
appetite suppressants, and some medications used to treat depression.
Identifying High Blood Pressure
Since high blood pressure has no signs or symptoms, the only way to identify it is by having your blood pressure checked. This is a quick, easy and painless procedure. Your blood pressure is considered normal if it is below 140/90 mm Hg, but it's even better if your blood pressure is below 135/85. If your blood pressure is high, your doctor may recommend a series of additional blood pressure tests to determine whether you truly have high blood pressure.
Prevention Of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure
can't be cured, and even though it can usually be controlled, it's
far better not to develop it at all. You can reduce your chances
of developing high blood pressure by doing the following:
- Maintain a healthy weight
As your body weight increases, so does your blood pressure. Being
overweight can make you two to six times more likely to develop
high blood pressure.
- Be physically active
People who are physically active have a 20 to 50 percent lower risk
of developing high blood pressure than people who are not active.
Aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, bicycling, and swimming
are best.
- Choose foods lower in salt and sodium
Cutting back on salt and sodium prevents blood pressure from
rising. No one should eat more than about 6 grams of salt a day,
which equals about 2,400 milligrams of sodium, or about 1 teaspoon
of table salt.
- Drink alcohol in moderation or not at all
Drinking too much alcohol can lead to high blood pressure. It's
best to have no more than two alcoholic drinks a day.
Treatment Of High Blood Pressure
If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, your treatment will include the same things recommended in the prevention section above: lose weight if necessary, exercise, eat a healthy diet low in sodium and fat, and avoid alcohol.
Your doctor may also prescribe medication to control high blood pressure. The type and amount of medication will depend on your specific situation.