February 6, 2008
Other Illnesses
Question from Oreland:
My daughter has had type 1 diabetes for four years. She is 10. Her A1cs have been in the 7.0 to 8.0 range. She is on Humalog and NPH injections, three times a day. She has tested positive for thyroid antibodies recently. Her thyroid gland was palpable but not enlarged. At our last check-up, her blood pressure was elevated. Our nurse practitioner asked us to monitor it until we come for our next check-up in April. Her school nurse is also checking once a week so we know our machine is functioning properly at home. Do blood pressure readings (high, low or normal) go hand in hand with high or low blood sugar readings? Her blood pressure readings have been 109/59 to 130/78.
Answer:
Blood pressure does follow stress and worry, etc. and blood sugar can follow stress, but the key is stress not blood sugar or blood pressure, if you follow me. So, no is the answer to your question.
Likely, if truly hypertensive, it is not related to diabetes and I would first rule out any other reason for hypertension and not just blame diabetes. Her age, 10, and only five years of diabetes is really too young and too soon for diabetes to be the reason for the elevated blood sugar.
Also, be sure to have a urine test for microalbumin.
LD
