Diabetes, Hypertension and Metabolic Syndrome

Hypertension and Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM), commonly referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which there are high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period. Serious long-term complications include cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic kidney failure, foot ulcers, and damage to the eyes.

Hypertension and diabetes are two of the leading risk factors for atherosclerosis and its complications, including heart attacks and strokes. There is substantial overlap between diabetes and hypertension, reflecting substantial overlap in their etiology and disease mechanisms. Cardiovascular risk factor prevalence study, only 42% of people with diabetes had normal blood pressure and only 56% of people with hypertension had normal glucose tolerance.

Diabetes causes hyperinsulinemia and raises the risk of hypertension. This condition increases the amount of sodium that the body absorbs. It also promotes the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. This is thought to cause changes in blood vessel structure, which affects the function of the heart and blood pressure.