Diabetes and high blood pressure are correlated. An individual suffering from diabetes is much more likely to have high blood pressure than someone who is non-diabetic. As per best diabetologist in Hyderabad, at Magna Centre, ‘These people are at a higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke.’

High blood sugar levels cause extensive damage to the blood pressure and body of a person. It can impact blood vessels levels and organs that play important roles in maintaining blood pressure.

Are Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure Related?

Blood sugar: When people consume foods, primarily carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks down into sugar that enters the blood. Blood sugar or glucose is the primary source of energy for all cells in the body. Many hormones control the regulation of blood sugar levels regularly. If blood sugar is reduced too low, it is called hypoglycemia. The body will produce gluco-counter regulatory hormones such as catecholamines.

These hormones, like epinephrine, glucagon, cortisol, and blood sugar levels work through different mechanisms to increase blood sugar levels. On the other hand, if blood sugar rises too high, termed hyperglycemia, the body forms insulin. This hormone moves sugar out of the bloodstream into fat, muscle, and liver cells finally reducing blood sugar.

Sometimes, the intricate system that manages blood sugar stops working effectively. Often this leads to chronic hyperglycemia which is high sugar levels. Early symptoms of hyperglycemia are blurred vision, fast heart rate, headache, and frequent urination.

• It leads to fatigue, increased risk of infection, weight loss, and slow healing capabilities.

• Factors that cause hyperglycemia can be acute such as stress and certain medications or chronic conditions like pancreatic or endocrine diseases.

• Insulin resistance occurs due to insulin’s ability to stimulate glucose uptake through tissue failure. When the body stops responding to the hormone insulin, the pancreas needs to produce an increased amount of insulin called hyperinsulinemia to do the same. Persistent high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, cause heart problems and permanently damage the eyes and kidneys.

Blood pressure:

Blood pressure is the force of the blood working against the arteries. In every heartbeat, the heart is pumping blood into blood arteries, leading to high blood pressure that increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.

What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

As per the best endocrinologist in hyderabad at Magna Centre, often people with high blood pressure do not show symptoms. But when the blood pressure is highly increased, a person may experience the following symptoms:

• Headache

• Dizziness

• Blurred vision

• These symptoms may look like other medical conditions or issues. Always consult with a diabetologist in Hyderabad.

Importance of testing blood sugar:

It is important to check blood glucose levels regularly. It will help to diagnose pre-diabetic or diabetic and is also important for diabetes management. Timely intervention is helpful to reduce unpleasant signs of high or low glucose levels, in someone with high blood pressure. Diet modification is important for reducing blood sugar levels, people should be aware of which foods and drinks to avoid.

The relationship between blood sugar and blood pressure:

When the blood sugar rises, the human body releases insulin, which helps the body cells use the sugar for energy. However, consistently high blood sugar levels can lead to high insulin levels, which may trigger a range of effects that automatically raise the blood pressure.

High blood sugar causes high blood pressure. It is mainly due to the high concentration of insulin in the human body.

High insulin spikes the sympathetic nervous system, which is an immunity response of the body that automatically raises your blood pressure. In addition, high insulin blocks the ability of your body to produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is an essential compound that helps your blood vessels expand and increases the risk of high blood pressure.

• Persistently, high insulin in the body also hardens the arteries, which disrupts the endothelial layer of the arteries and promotes a rapid effect of cholesterol and calcium accumulating in the arteries.

• The kidney increasing the re-absorption of sodium is the other mechanism by which high insulin leads to high blood pressure. It causes fluid retention that increases the blood pressure and makes the heart work harder.

• Glucose can increase blood pressure, along with increasing the risk of diabetes and obesity. As sodium is known to lead to high blood pressure, sugar also can increase blood pressure by acting on nitric oxide production in blood vessels.

• No deficiency can cause vasoconstriction (narrowing the blood vessels) and high blood pressure. High blood pressure may cause a higher risk of other conditions that affect the way the body processes blood glucose, like changes in how a person becomes insulin-sensitive.

• If you are looking to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and associated conditions,

• Consuming less sugar, especially processed sugar, is a great first step. Over time high blood pressure can damage the coronary arteries and lead to other health side effects.

Conclusion: High blood sugar and high blood pressure don’t cause each other, however, people with type 2 diabetes are likely to get other health issues at the same time, such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. All these conditions can damage the blood vessels, leading to heart disease, kidney disease, and other problems. After diagnosis of diabetes, diabetologists in Hyderabad, at Magna Centre can help manage all these health conditions to prevent heart problems.