Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsLow Blood Sugar Can Increase Blood PressureLong-Term Effects of Low Blood SugarSymptoms of High Blood PressureHow to Avoid Low Blood SugarFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Low Blood Sugar Can Increase Blood Pressure
Long-Term Effects of Low Blood Sugar
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
How to Avoid Low Blood Sugar
Frequently Asked Questions
Low blood sugar, also known ashypoglycemia, is defined as blood sugar levels of 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or lower. Symptoms of low blood sugar can include tiredness, sweating, and tingling lips. High blood pressure, also calledhypertension, can also be a sign of low blood sugar.
Low blood sugar is especially common in people with type 1 diabetes, in which the pancreas creates little or noinsulin.However, it can also occur in people with type 2 diabetes who take insulin or certain medications.
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Our body gets its energy to function properly from glucose, which is found in the carbohydrates we take in from the foods we eat. Insulin is responsible for pulling glucose from the bloodstream into cells, where it’s used for energy.
Is It Normal for Blood Pressure to Fluctuate?
Repeat episodes of low blood sugar can cause permanent changes to blood pressure and increase the risk of hypertension in people with diabetes. Low blood sugar may also lead to long-term cognitive (intellectual) changes, cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm), and heart attacks.
High blood pressure is the most common risk factor for stroke.It is also known to increase the risk of brain, heart, and kidney problems.Organ damage and cognitive dysfunction may also occur. Therefore, if hypertension remains unmanaged, serious events like stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and dementia may occur.
Hypertension causes the arterial walls to experience an untenable amount of pressure, which results in the heart needing to work harder to pump blood.This can damage the heart muscle.
A small study of 22 people with type 1 diabetes linked low blood sugar to high blood pressure and found that hypoglycemia may lead to hypertension over time.
Can Diabetes Cause High Blood Pressure?
Here are some tips for avoiding low blood sugar:
Sometimes, low blood sugar occurs even when you try to prevent it. Therefore, it’s a good idea to carryglucose tabletsor other fast-acting carbohydrates, such as half a banana or a couple tablespoons of raisins.
The 15–15 rule can help you raise your blood sugar slowly. It involves eating 15 grams (g) of fast-acting carbohydrates and checking your blood sugar levels after 15 minutes. If your blood sugar is not responding to the carbohydrates within 15 minutes, repeat the steps until your blood sugar is in your target range. It may be necessary to call your doctor or seek emergency medical help right away if you can’t get your blood sugar under control.
Preventing low blood sugar is an important part of preventing hypertension, but it is not the only way. Talk to your healthcare provider about unique risk factors that may impact how you approach both blood sugar and blood pressure.
Managing and Preventing Complications of Diabetes
A Word From Verywell
Managing low blood sugar and high blood pressure can be stressful. However, it does not need to consume your entire life. There are many steps you can take to reduce your stress and the impact your diagnosis and the resulting anxiety may have on your life.
For example, you may want to look into recipes that help lower your high blood pressure and ways to manage your blood sugar to ensure it is at a healthy level. Look for manageable steps you can take, and walk through them with your healthcare provider. Together, you can confirm you are on the right track to managing your low blood sugar and the resulting high blood pressure.
Frequently Asked QuestionsThe symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) include anxiety, confusion, chills, fatigue, blurred vision, dizziness, heightened pulse, sleepiness, hunger, issues with coordination, nausea, sweating, shakiness, clammy skin, nightmares, seizures, and irritability. Low blood sugar can affect everyone differently.Learn MoreWhat Are Hyperglycemia and Hypoglycemia?Yes, low levels of potassium can raise blood pressure. This is why getting healthy amounts of potassium in your diet can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of stroke, and help prevent muscle cramping. However, certain people with kidney problems should monitor their potassium intake since too much of it can cause potential health issues.
The symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) include anxiety, confusion, chills, fatigue, blurred vision, dizziness, heightened pulse, sleepiness, hunger, issues with coordination, nausea, sweating, shakiness, clammy skin, nightmares, seizures, and irritability. Low blood sugar can affect everyone differently.Learn MoreWhat Are Hyperglycemia and Hypoglycemia?
The symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) include anxiety, confusion, chills, fatigue, blurred vision, dizziness, heightened pulse, sleepiness, hunger, issues with coordination, nausea, sweating, shakiness, clammy skin, nightmares, seizures, and irritability. Low blood sugar can affect everyone differently.
Learn MoreWhat Are Hyperglycemia and Hypoglycemia?
Yes, low levels of potassium can raise blood pressure. This is why getting healthy amounts of potassium in your diet can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of stroke, and help prevent muscle cramping. However, certain people with kidney problems should monitor their potassium intake since too much of it can cause potential health issues.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).American Diabetes Association.Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia).Frier BM, Schernthaner G, Heller SR.Hypoglycemia and cardiovascular risks.Diabetes Care. 2011;34 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S132-7. doi:10.2337/dc11-s220Freeman J.Management of hypoglycemia in older adults with type 2 diabetes.Postgrad Med. 2019;131(4):241-250. doi:10.1080/00325481.2019.1578590Price RS, Kasner SE.Hypertension and hypertensive encephalopathy.Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;119:161-167. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-4086-3.00012-6Messerli FH, Williams B, Ritz E.Essential hypertension.Lancet. 2007;370(9587):591-603. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61299-9Mensah GA.Hypertension and target organ damage: don’t believe everything you think!Ethn Dis. 2016;26(3):275–278. doi:10.18865/ed.26.3.275Feldman-Billard S, Massin P, Meas T, Guillausseau P, Héron E.Hypoglycemia-induced blood pressure elevation in patients with diabetes.Arch Intern Med.2010;170(9):829–831. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2010.98Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High blood pressure.Harvard Health Publishing: Harvard Medical School.Potassium lowers blood pressure.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).American Diabetes Association.Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia).Frier BM, Schernthaner G, Heller SR.Hypoglycemia and cardiovascular risks.Diabetes Care. 2011;34 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S132-7. doi:10.2337/dc11-s220Freeman J.Management of hypoglycemia in older adults with type 2 diabetes.Postgrad Med. 2019;131(4):241-250. doi:10.1080/00325481.2019.1578590Price RS, Kasner SE.Hypertension and hypertensive encephalopathy.Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;119:161-167. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-4086-3.00012-6Messerli FH, Williams B, Ritz E.Essential hypertension.Lancet. 2007;370(9587):591-603. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61299-9Mensah GA.Hypertension and target organ damage: don’t believe everything you think!Ethn Dis. 2016;26(3):275–278. doi:10.18865/ed.26.3.275Feldman-Billard S, Massin P, Meas T, Guillausseau P, Héron E.Hypoglycemia-induced blood pressure elevation in patients with diabetes.Arch Intern Med.2010;170(9):829–831. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2010.98Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High blood pressure.Harvard Health Publishing: Harvard Medical School.Potassium lowers blood pressure.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).American Diabetes Association.Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia).Frier BM, Schernthaner G, Heller SR.Hypoglycemia and cardiovascular risks.Diabetes Care. 2011;34 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S132-7. doi:10.2337/dc11-s220Freeman J.Management of hypoglycemia in older adults with type 2 diabetes.Postgrad Med. 2019;131(4):241-250. doi:10.1080/00325481.2019.1578590Price RS, Kasner SE.Hypertension and hypertensive encephalopathy.Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;119:161-167. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-4086-3.00012-6Messerli FH, Williams B, Ritz E.Essential hypertension.Lancet. 2007;370(9587):591-603. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61299-9Mensah GA.Hypertension and target organ damage: don’t believe everything you think!Ethn Dis. 2016;26(3):275–278. doi:10.18865/ed.26.3.275Feldman-Billard S, Massin P, Meas T, Guillausseau P, Héron E.Hypoglycemia-induced blood pressure elevation in patients with diabetes.Arch Intern Med.2010;170(9):829–831. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2010.98Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High blood pressure.Harvard Health Publishing: Harvard Medical School.Potassium lowers blood pressure.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
American Diabetes Association.Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia).
Frier BM, Schernthaner G, Heller SR.Hypoglycemia and cardiovascular risks.Diabetes Care. 2011;34 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S132-7. doi:10.2337/dc11-s220
Freeman J.Management of hypoglycemia in older adults with type 2 diabetes.Postgrad Med. 2019;131(4):241-250. doi:10.1080/00325481.2019.1578590
Price RS, Kasner SE.Hypertension and hypertensive encephalopathy.Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;119:161-167. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-4086-3.00012-6
Messerli FH, Williams B, Ritz E.Essential hypertension.Lancet. 2007;370(9587):591-603. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61299-9
Mensah GA.Hypertension and target organ damage: don’t believe everything you think!Ethn Dis. 2016;26(3):275–278. doi:10.18865/ed.26.3.275
Feldman-Billard S, Massin P, Meas T, Guillausseau P, Héron E.Hypoglycemia-induced blood pressure elevation in patients with diabetes.Arch Intern Med.2010;170(9):829–831. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2010.98
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High blood pressure.
Harvard Health Publishing: Harvard Medical School.Potassium lowers blood pressure.
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