The Relationship between Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart, and Kidney Diseases

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is commonly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, such as hypertension, obesity, and dyslipidemia. Hypertension is common among patients with diabetes, with the prevalence depending on type and duration of diabetes, age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), history of glycemic control, and the presence of kidney disease, among other factors.

Objectives: The aim of the present study to highlight the relationship between diabetes, hypertension, and heart and kidney diseases. Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and T2DM are three interrelated conditions that share several pathophysiological mechanisms and that are frequently observed to lead, in succession, to cardiovascular complications. Obesity is recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which produces independent adverse effects in the car¬diovascular system. Obesity induces a variety of structural adaptations of the cardiovascular system, from subclinical myocardial dysfunction to severe left ventricular systolic heart failure. Dyslipidemia associated with T2DM is typically more complex than the simple elevation of systemic low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is always associated with raised triglycerides. Hypertriglyceridemia is one of the risk factors in coronary artery disease. Low plasma concentrations of highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), elevated levels of apolipoprotein B, and elevated triglyceride (TG) levels, as well as abnormalities in lipoprotein particle size and subclass distribution. The kidney is important in the pathogenesis of T2DM, and that kidney parameters may be useful additional markers of patients at high risk for the development of diabetes. Biochemical parameters of kidney functions were associated with a worsening in insulin action and predicts the development of T2DM. Decreased serum sodium levels are occasionally observed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Hypertension was more prevalent among males than among females. The association between hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is well known, considering that CKD is the greatest cause of secondary hypertension.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that there is a close correlation between dyslipidemia, CKD, and CVD in patients with T2DM. Diabetes mellitus is a strong risk factor for CKD and CVD. All patients with T2DM must be started on primary prevention by health education, aggressive lifestyle changes, such as weight reduction and physical exercise and use of lipid-lowering drugs should go hand-in-hand with antidiabetic drugs to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. Drug treatment is necessary for controlling these risk factors which include hypertension, dyslipi¬demia, metabolic abnormalities, and excess weight. 

Keywords: Association, Lipid profile, Kidney function tests, Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart disease, Kidney disease.