Blood pressure and diabetes

High blood pressure can lead to complications in diabetes.photo courtesy of Karen Barefoot - stock.xchng vi

Blood pressure plays an important role in the management of diabetes. High blood pressure (hypertension) adds to the burden of work of the heart, arteries and kidneys. Damage to the kidneys, eyes and feet are long-term complications that can go hand in hand with a diagnosis of diabetes, but patients need to be aware of other risks to health, including heart disease and stroke. Each visit to the doctor should include a blood pressure reading.

It is important to keep track of blood pressure, because the people who suffer from diabetes tend to have more difficult with a high blood pressure than those who do not have the disease. Diabetes and high blood pressure can pack a punch one-two damaging that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and eye, kidney and nerve complications.

High blood pressure is known as the "silent killer". Usually, the only way to know if you have it is to have your blood pressure taken regularly. If your doctor can catch early high blood pressure, then he or she can start you on a program to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. Normal blood pressure is 120/80. Early signs of high blood pressure fall between 120/80 and 140/90. More than 140/90 signals high blood pressure.

If you discover that infiltrates your blood pressure, your doctor must recommend changes in lifestyle that you can do to help maintain lower. Some weight loss, exercise regularly, to stop smoking and watch how much salt you eat can help. Your doctor can also put on blood pressure medicine to ensure that your blood pressure is not climb too high. You and your doctor should be extra vigilant keeping your blood pressure to a normal range, because when someone has diabetes, there is an increased risk of serious complications associated with high blood pressure.

Renal lesions - when hypertension remains high, it can damage the small vessels of the kidney filtering. Diabetes can also damage the kidneys, so when it is combined with a high blood pressure, it can become even more serious.A heart disease and stroke --people with diabetes have double the risk of developing heart disease or have a stroke. Diabetes increases the risk of atherosclerosis, which is the accumulation of sticky plaque in blood vessels.

This is why watch lifestyle changes like eating less fat food, lose weight and to get enough exercise are such an important part of the maintenance of blood pressure in a normal range.

The most current medications to treat high blood pressure include: diuretic - remove the excess water and salt from the body through urination. This helps to relieve the pressure on blood vessels. ACE: ACE stands for angiotensin converting enzyme, a type of protein that can can cause blood vessels to tighten. An ACE inhibitor drug stops the enzyme to be released in your body, which helps blood vessels to relax. ACE inhibitors have been shown to reduce the risk of kidney damage and low blood pressure, making it a good choice for people with diabetes or other kidney diseases.Of ARB: blockers angiotensin receptors work on artery same substance that make of constriction of blocking ACE inhibitors. Although they work in different ways, they still offer protection like kidney as the ACE.Beta blockers: these help your heart by decreasing the workload and helps to relax. Your heart doesn't have to work so hard for the job. Beta blockers are useful to prevent heart attack and stroke.Calcium channel blockers: these also relax the workload on the heart and blood vessels.

Blood pressure can be controlled by working with your health care provider, to make lifestyle changes and taking prescribed antihypertensive if necessary. All this can be long to help you live a longer, stronger and healthier life.