It has been previously discovered that people whose blood pressure doesn't drop notably overnight tend to have more cardiovascular problems.
Why? According to a study, a person's blood sugar (glucose) levels are most likely elevated. This elevation could present a greater risk for developing diabetes and other diseases, and thus increase cardiovascular risks.
Dippers vs. Non-dippers
Researchers monitored 51 patients with hypertension, ages 60-80, including 20 whose blood pressure didn't dip by more than 10 percent at night. They found that both groups had nearly identical average blood pressure over the 24-hour period they were studied.
When it came to blood sugar levels, however, the differences between both sets of patients were evident:
The fasting glucose level for patients whose blood pressure dipped at night (dippers) was 95 mg/dl on average, compared to 102 for patients whose blood pressure didn't dip at night (non-dippers).
The two-hour glucose tolerance level for dippers was 133 mg/dl, compared to 144 for non-dippers.
Glucose levels of 110-125 may indicate pre-diabetes, a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet at the level of diabetes. Therefore, to fend of full-fledged diabetes, researchers recommended exercise, weight loss and dietary changes for patients with pre-diabetes.
Moreover, doctors and health care providers may want to closely monitor glucose levels of patients whose blood pressure doesn't dip at night.
Medical News Today May 14, 2005
Research published in 1998 in the journal Diabetes found nearly two-thirds of test subjects with high blood pressure were also insulin resistant.
The common thread that ties together the many disorders -- including hypertension -- of metabolic syndrome is also insulin resistance.
So, if you are hypertensive, the more poorly controlled your blood sugar levels are, the more likely it is that you will have a difficult time controlling your blood pressure. Of course, if your high blood pressure is a direct result of poorly managed blood sugars, then getting them under control could eliminate the problem entirely.
What we really see here is yet another example of the wide-ranging, negative effects high insulin, leptin and blood glucose levels can have on your body.
Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to help balance your blood pressure, glucose, leptin and insulin levels, all at the same time, without the use of potentially harmful medications.
Tips for Reducing Insulin Resistance, High Blood Sugar and High Blood Pressure Levels
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