(BlackDoctor.org) -- Did you know that diabetic African Americans are twice as likely to develop hypertension (high blood pressure) than those who don’t have diabetes? The two conditions have been showing up together more and more, like a notorious pair of criminals, and the combination can add serious strain to a diabetic’s already compromised system.
 
It’s very important to control hypertension because, like diabetes, it can lead to other health complications. If your blood travels through your body’s vessels with extra force due to hypertension, your heart must work harder and, as a result, your risk of cardiovascular diseases increase. The American Diabetes Association recommends aiming for blood pressure that’s less than 130/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) if you have diabetes. The lower the better.

People with diabetes are at a higher risk for vascular, coronary artery and cerebral vascular disease, which can result in heart attacks and strokes. Although high blood pressure often has a genetic component, controlling risk factors is important.

Medicines for Hypertension and Diabetes

Having diabetes may also impact which hypertension medications your doctor chooses. Most medications are fairly equivalent, but some are beneficial for both high blood pressure and diabetes.

For example, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are a class of drugs that slow down the effects of diabetes on the kidneys and reduce the incidence of proteinuria, a sign of chronic kidney disease and a complication of diabetes. They also work to lower your blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels and preventing them from narrowing.

Other medications typically prescribed for high blood pressure that occurs with diabetes include:
Beta blockers, which help your heart to beat slower and with less force, ultimately reducing your blood pressure; calcium channel blockers; and diuretics to decrease water and sodium (which tend to increase your blood pressure) through urination.

Hypertension and Diabetes: Breaking the Connection

Both hypertension and diabetes are modifiable. Just because you’ve been diagnosed with both doesn’t mean you’ll live with both forever. Type 2 diabetes is modifiable by refining your diet and body weight, and adding more exercise. When this is done, sometimes your need for diabetes medication can decline and your blood pressure may actually return to a healthy rate, removing your need for an antihypertensive.

By Candace Hall, BDO Staff Writer