Does Diabetes Cause High Blood Pressure?

Yes, diabetes can cause high blood pressure. Let's find out why this happens so that we can work towards overcoming these health issues or even preventing them in the first place.

What Is a Normal Blood Pressure for Diabetics?

Blood pressure (BP) is the force your heart uses to circulate blood throughout your body (1). Even though the recommended level for the average person is 120/80, it is usually slightly higher for people with diabetes. It is recommended that diabetics keep their BP below 140/80 mmHg.

How Is High Blood Pressure Related to Diabetes?

A person with type 2 diabetes is insulin resistant. Insulin's role is to channel blood sugar into all the cells in our body. If you have insulin resistance, then your cells resist this action. As a result, your blood sugar increases, and your body reacts by producing more insulin. A person with insulin resistance has around 5-7 times more insulin than usual. This is dangerous to our health in many ways (2).

High insulin can lead to high blood pressure in the following ways:

• It stiffens your arteries and disrupts their endothelial layer, which triggers a cascading effect of accumulated cholesterol and calcium.
• High insulin also causes inflammation, which makes it very difficult for blood to flow through the arteries. Stiff arteries increase your systolic blood pressure by reducing capacitance (3).
• High insulin causes sodium retention and potassium loss. This, in turn, results in fluid accumulation, which raises blood pressure (4).

Foods Diabetics Can Eat to Lower High Blood Pressure


You need two basic diet meal plans to reverse diabetes, which can form a part of a self-management protocol for diabetes if followed closely.

You can improve your insulin resistance and lower high blood pressure by increasing the amount of potassium-rich foods in your diet. Potassium may ease tension in your blood vessel walls and lower blood pressure. The more potassium you consume, the more sodium is excreted from the body, reducing fluid accumulation and blood pressure (5).

Ways to increase your potassium intake include the following:

• Fibrous, non-starchy vegetables
• Fruits such as oranges, cantaloupes, apricots, pomegranates, papayas, prunes, and grapefruits
• Vegetables such as avocados, squash, Brussels sprouts, yams, broccoli, mushrooms, peas, and cucumbers
• Fatty fish such as salmon

To help increase insulin sensitivity, include the following in your diet:

• Apple cider vinegar
• Vitamin D
• Turmeric
• Cinnamon
• Omega-3

Foods to Avoid With Diabetes

A diabetic with high blood pressure should be equally careful about what to avoid in their diet. Foods to avoid include:

• Sugar and sugary foods
• Trans fats (generally found in creamers, margarine, spreads, and frozen dinners)
• Foods made of refined flour such as white bread, rice, and pasta
• Most breakfast cereals
• Flavored drinks, including caffeinated beverages
• Artificially sweetened beverages
• Honey, maple syrup, and jaggery
• Dried fruit
• Packaged snacks such as crackers, biscuits, pretzels, etc.
• Processed and fried foods
• Fruit juice and fruit-flavored yogurt

High Glycemic Foods

The foods that are easily digested by our bodies and quickly raise blood sugar levels are known as high-glycemic foods. The glycemic index covers a wide range of foods that are classified based on the rate at which they can spike blood glucose levels.

Typically, foods with a glycemic index of 55 or lower are considered low glycemic foods. These are recommended for people with diabetes.

How to Prevent and Treat High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can easily be prevented and treated with the right lifestyle changes, such as the following:

• Maintain a healthy weight This means losing weight if you are overweight or obese. Studies show that obesity and high blood pressure are directly linked. Maintaining a healthy weight can also be a significant part of your diabetes management system.
• Quit smoking Chemicals that you inhale while smoking cause inflammation and increased oxidative stress. It also increases insulin resistance.
• Limit your alcohol intake Too much alcohol can destroy the liver and pancreatic cells, which may cause chronic inflammation and reduce the ability of the pancreas to secrete insulin. Therefore, it can cause havoc and complicate matters more for people with diabetes.
• Eat at least 7-10 servings of vegetables per day This will provide potassium and magnesium, two minerals that help prevent and reverse diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Cut back on caffeine Caffeine may constrict your arteries and spike the secretion of adrenaline, which may increase blood pressure.
• Reduce your stress In times of chronic stress, cortisol and adrenaline shoot up considerably, which can temporarily increase your blood pressure and heart rate due to narrowing vessels.
• Exercise regularly Reversing diabetes and high blood pressure may be possible with exercise due to the supported weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity of the liver and muscle cells.

Medical Disclaimer

Dario Health offers health, fitness, and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon. The information provided might not be accurate, full, complete, or effective. Accordingly, it is not intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment or as a substitute for professional medical advice. You are strongly advised to consult your physician or qualified health professional regarding your condition and appropriate medical treatment. Individual symptoms, situations, and circumstances may vary.

Resources

1. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/blood-pressure
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29939616/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16222607/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3533616/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7298627/

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