Diabetes is a frightful disease and has long caused suffering for those who have it. It is one of the leading causes of death, not only in the United States, but also around the world. If you have diabetes, you also have a higher chance for other health problems, including:
- Blindness.
- Limb amputation.
- Heart attack.
- Kidney disease.
Meanwhile, some people who have high blood pressure are at risk of developing diabetes. Surprising new research though says that you can prevent diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, with very simple techniques. What you need to do is to take your medicine at the right time.
When to Take Blood Pressure Meds: Researchers from Spain discovered that those who are suffering from hypertension should take their medications before they go to sleep. Many health experts, however, schedule the medicine consumption early in the morning. The research claims that if you take your meds without waiting until the morning may provide you with an advantage of more than 50% chance of staying diabetes-free for the rest of your life.
Other Studies Supporting the Claim: There have been quite a number of studies that show hypertension medications and diabetes indeed have a link:
In an initial study, researchers discovered that non-dippers (or those with hypertension whose blood pressure does not decrease at night) have a higher chance of developing diabetes.
By taking blood pressure medicine during bedtime, your blood pressure will drop while you sleep. Based on the investigation, this can help prevent diabetes in the long term.
Meanwhile, a clinical trial performed by the same Spanish researchers revealed that for every 14-point drop in systolic blood pressure, you can have 30% reduced diabetes risk. Note that the systolic blood pressure is the top blood pressure number in the reading.
The researchers who conducted their study at the University of Vigo, Spain declared that the results from their investigation can be used as a significant method for hypertension patients to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
How Is This Possible? Although hypertension and diabetes are two different diseases, they are actually connected because they share the same hormones, including angiotensin and adrenaline. Many blood pressure meds target these hormones, particularly angiotensin, which can contribute to increased blood sugar and deceased sensitivity to insulin. Both factors can result to type 2 diabetes. Among the medicines that target this specific hormone are:
- Beta blockers.
- ACE inhibitors.
- Angiotensin receptor blockers.
These medication classes can reduce hypertension, but may contribute to developing diabetes. The researchers suggest that you take your meds before you go to sleep since dips in the evening can help lower diabetes risk significantly.