Before dealing with diabetic hypertension, it is important to have a general understanding of what hypertension means. Hypertension is more commonly referred to as high blood pressure. High blood pressure occurs when blood exerts too much pressure on the walls of blood vessels. According to Everyday Health’s website, more than 73 million Americans have high blood pressure. That’s one out of every three adults. Of these, more than half do not have their blood pressure under control.
Diabetics are at an increased risk of developing diabetic hypertension because of the disease’s negative impact on the blood vessels that are found throughout the body. Diabetes causes fat deposits to block or restrict blood vessels, causing hypertension to take place when the pressure inside of them builds up. Besides diabetes, hypertension is commonly seen in people who smoke, are obese or overweight, are under a lot of stress or consume a lot of salt. Drinking more than a couple of alcoholic beverages each day has also been know to worsen hypertension in some cases.
Treating Hypertension in Diabetic Patients
Hypertension in diabetic patients is often reduced through the use of certain medications. Studies have shown that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB’s) have been shown effective for diabetic hypertension. However, there are also non-drug related precautions people with diabetic hypertension should take to lower blood pressure. Restricting sodium intake can be a key factor for bringing down hypertension in diabetic patients. Also, completing 30 to 45 minutes of moderate exercise each day 5 days per week has also been shown to bring blood pressure levels down. This can be as simple as implementing a brisk walk into one’s daily routine. If a patient is overweight, losing weight is a key solution for reducing diabetic hypertension. This can be achieved through diet and exercise, which are already methods known to decrease hypertension.
Diabetic Nephropathy Hypertension
Diabetic nephropathy hypertension is one of the major complications of diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy refers to kidney problems that can be brought on by the disease. Although hypertension can cause many different kind of health problems for people with or without the disease, there is a strong link between diabetic nephropathy and high blood pressure. Information provided by MedScape says that diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease in the United States.
Unfortunately, high blood pressure commonly does not show signs until it is in later stages. It is important for all adults to have routine check-ups with their primary care physician, especially if they have diabetes or other common risk factors. A doctor can provide a patient with a routine urinalysis screening that will show if a person is at risk of developing diabetic nephropathy. Evidence suggests that the early discovery and treatment can prevent the onset of diabetic nephropathy or diabetic kidney disease.
