You are maintaining a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise. You are checking your blood sugar levels and they are within the target range. Your A1C is less than 7%.
You are scheduled to see your health care provider for your routine visit. You feel good.
“Everything looks good, it’s just that his blood pressure has gone up in the last few months,” his health care provider reports, “we’re going to have to start him on blood pressure medication.”
You are puzzled. How can this be? Everything seemed to be going well. Why have you just been diagnosed with hypertension?
Is there a relationship between diabetes and hypertension?
The short answer to this question for people living with type 2 diabetes is YES. The link is explained by what doctors call metabolic syndrome.
I know that this word may mean very little to you. But this information is very important for anyone living with type 2 diabetes. I’m going to explain what this means in as simple terms as possible.
It is my intention that the knowledge is presented in an easy to understand format. That way you will be better able to take action. It is only by taking action that you can live powerfully with diabetes.
So let’s dive back into what metabolic syndrome is and how diabetes and hypertension are linked.
What is metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a feature group. It is not really a medical illness. The important thing is that these characteristics put you in a increased risk to develop certain diseases.
These diseases include type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Metabolic syndrome is also called metabolic syndrome X, syndrome X and also insulin resistance syndrome.
Most clinical experts define metabolic syndrome as having three or more of any of the following:
- Obesity in the abdomen. More than 32 inches in women and 38 inches in men.
- High fasting blood sugar levels of more than 100-125 mg/dl
- High blood pressure of more than 130/85 mm Hg or if you are taking blood pressure medication.
- A high triglyceride level of more than 150 mg/dL or a low HDL level of less than 40 mg/dL.
The prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome.
More than 2/3 of the adult US population is overweight or obese. The number of people with metabolic syndrome has increased as has the obesity epidemic in this country. Currently that rate is 34% of the adult population.
The following factors put you at risk of developing metabolic syndrome:
- Being overweight. In other words, a BMI of more than 25.
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- Eating a high carbohydrate diet.
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- Lack of exercise
- Menopause
- Family history of diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
- growing age.
What health risks are associated with metabolic syndrome?
- People with metabolic syndrome are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
- They are also at risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease consists of several diseases. I like to compare the cardiovascular system to the plumbing system in your house. Your symptoms depend on which part of the arteries is blocked. Cholesterol is deposited in the arteries as fatty plaques. When the arteries of the heart become clogged with plaque, this is called coronary artery disease. If plaque builds up in the blood vessels of the brain, it is called cerebrovascular disease and can lead to a stroke.
How is Metabolic Syndrome diagnosed?
Schedule an annual physical exam with your health care provider. Your doctor will check your weight and calculate your BMI.
If you are overweight or obese, be sure to take your waist measurement. Most health care offices should have a tape measure; If not, you can easily check your waist measurement at home.
They will also do blood tests. These will include your fasting lipid profile and also your blood sugar level.
It’s always a good idea to make an appointment for your annual physical first thing in the morning. That way, you can fast, without having eaten anything.
Please don’t take your medicines if you don’t eat. This will reduce your risk of hypoglycemia.
Metabolic Syndrome Treatment:
The goal of treating metabolic syndrome is to reduce the complications it can cause, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The main goal is weight loss. Be more physically active. And eat a healthy diet. This is what a wellness lifestyle is all about.
This will help lower your cholesterol and also keep your blood sugar in the target range.
If you smoke, make a commitment to quit.
High blood pressure is when your blood pressure is higher than 140/90 mmHg. It is diagnosed after your health care provider has obtained more than 3 high blood pressure readings.
When diet and exercise fail to lower your blood pressure to the normal range, your health care provider will choose to start you on medication.
So there you have it. The link between diabetes and hypertension is metabolic syndrome. And it’s because of this link that many people with type 2 diabetes also end up taking blood pressure medication.
The goal is to control or reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and reduce the risk of diabetes complications.
