The Importance of Tracking Blood Pressure for People with Diabetes

Most people examine an aspect of their health only when it shows signs of a problem. However, when it comes to high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, this shouldn’t be the case. This condition can be impossible to notice because it has little to no visible symptoms. Based on this, regular monitoring of blood pressure is crucial, especially for the elderly or people with a family history of hypertension. According to the World Health Organization*, high blood pressure is a serious medical condition that can affect many organs in the body, such as the brain, heart, and kidneys. The most common cause of hypertension is a poor diet. Specifically, one high in sodium, saturated fats, alcohol, and tobacco. Moreover, the lack of physical exercise is also a factor for developing cardiovascular disease. Therefore, to maintain a healthy body and minimize the risk of developing various conditions, a balanced diet should be followed, but also regular blood pressure monitoring should be performed.

For people with diabetes, the risk of high blood pressure is greater because the two conditions share similar features. According to a survey** from 2012, obesity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance are common for both hypertension and diabetes. However, what exactly is the connection between the two? High glucose levels in the bloodstream are very damaging for the blood vessels. Because of this stress on the vessels, the heart pumps more blood, resulting in hypertension. The way to prevent this unfortunate parallel is by having regular check-ups of blood pressure levels to be aware of their stage and have time to take action if the measurements are not in the norm.

Diabetes: M allows users to log their blood pressure readings in just a few simple steps. This is how it works:

References:
* https://www.who.int/health-topics/hypertension#tab=tab_1
** https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3314178/