Living with Diabetes--Control Blood Pressure to Avoid Heart Disease and Stroke



Photography courtesy William Brooksher



'Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.'       
Mark Twain

Got Diabetes? Got Good News!

Are you are one of the 100 million in the US who's been diagnosed with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes? Me too.

Turns out, if you're motivated to enjoy a healthy life, there's great news:

Type 2 diabetes is a treatable lifestyle condition, and you can influence the course of your health by controlling your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.


But if I Watch my Blood Sugar isn't that Enough?

 No. Many people with diabetes believe controlling their blood sugar is enough to control the disease. While keeping your daily blood sugars at optimum levels--not too high and not too low--is an important part of controlling the disease, it is equally important to control blood pressure and cholesterol. In this article, I focus on the importance of managing your blood pressure.

Heart Attack and Stroke are the Killers

Here's the thing--if you have, or are at risk of developing, type 2 diabetes, you are at risk of developing complications, such as blindness, limb amputations, and kidney disease, but cardiovascular-related issues, such as stroke and heart disease are the killers.

For those of us with type 2 diabetes, heart attacks and strokes are our biggest concern. Over 75% of adults in the US with type 2 diabetes die from cardiovascular disease compared with 33% in the general population. But we can change these statistics by changing our behavior and taking charge of our risk factors.

If you control the risk factors--high blood sugar, high blood fats and  hypertension-- you can avoid the complications of diabetes.

Want to Reduce your Risk of a Heart Attack or Stroke by 50%? Think Blood Pressure Control

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) we can reduce our risk of heart attack or stroke by 50% thorough controlling our blood pressure. The National Stroke Association considers hypertension the most important controllable risk factor for stroke, with hypertension raising the risk of stroke by seven times for everyone-- not just people with diabetes.  

The CDC reports for people with type 2 diabetes:

• If you reduce your diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) from 90 mmHg to 80 mmHg you cut your risk in half for experiencing a heart attack or stroke.
• For every 10 mmHg drop in your systolic blood pressure (the higher number), you reduce your risk for any complication related to diabetes by 12%.

 What is an Optimal Target Blood Pressure?

The question is always 'how low should I go to get the most benefits?' And if low is good, is lower better? These days health professionals consider optimal levels---not too high and not too low. Lower isn't always better, and in some cases lower blood pressure can be worse.

For people with type 2 diabetes with hypertension, the optimal target to achieve the most benefits is 130/80 mmHg. Study after study on how low to go on blood pressure to achieve the most benefits has come to the conclusion that this is low enough for most people. Check with your physician if this is a good target for you.

4 Steps to Take Charge of Your Blood Pressure

1. Get a digital monitor to use at home. Monitor and record your pressure daily.  Include date, time and blood pressure readings. Measure in the morning, afternoon and evening after sitting quietly for 3-5 minutes. Knowing your numbers empowers you. It's easy to track your pressure with a digital monitor, and recording it daily will keep you conscious of this vitally important factor that can keep you healthy.

2. If your readings start rising, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss treatment options.Take your log with you to share during regular checkups.

3.  Stay focused on what you can do to maintain your blood pressure at or below 130/80 mmHg (or the level set with your doctor for you). Don't just rely on medications--take action to train your body. In addition to working with your doctor, consider enlisting the help of a diabetes educator or physical trainer to guide you.

4. Orient your goals to first focus on what blood pressure control you can achieve naturally, and use blood pressure lowering drugs to supplement what you achieve through your own efforts.Your doctor can prescribe blood pressure medicine if necessary.

Choose to be Aware and to Care

The key is to be aware of your resting blood pressure level and choose to do whatever it takes to keep it at or below 130/80 mmHg. You don't have to be perfect, but you do need to care enough about yourself to pay attention and take steps today to assure good health tomorrow.

 'And what, Socrates, is the food of the soul? Surely, I said, knowledge is the food of the soul.'

Plato

About Susan J Meyerott, MS

International speaker and award-winning author, Susan Meyerott provides dynamic interactive workshops for people ready to better manage their work, life and health. Her programs have won national recognition and have been used in homes and organizations throughout the United States, England and Canada.

For more than 30 years, Susan has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. As a speaker and writer, Susan blends her unique background in health promotion, accelerated learning, and communication with a very personal, practical, and humorous style. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes changing easier than ever before.