Among our compatriots, there are already 330 million people with high blood pressure and 130 million people with diabetes. As we all know, high blood pressure and diabetes are not terrible in themselves, but the complications brought about by these two diseases, such as myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, uremia, etc., can be life-threatening. Worse still, some people also develop high blood pressure and diabetes at the same time, and these patients have a high risk of cardiovascular disease and related deaths. Scientists have long discovered a close link between high blood pressure and diabetes, but the exact cause has not been found. Recently, there has been a breakthrough in relevant research, so let's introduce the main points of this achievement to you now.
Recently, an international team from the University of Bristol in the UK and the University of Auckland in New Zealand published a paper in the journal Circular Research. Studies have shown that the glucagon-like peptide receptor GLP1R, which is present in the CARotid body CB, plays an important regulatory role in both blood pressure and blood sugar, and the expression of this receptor decreases, which is an important reason for the simultaneous onset of hypertension and hyperglycemia. Glucagon-like peptide GLP1, which regulates peripheral chemical reflexes acting on the carotid body. This regulatory pathway can control metabolic disease states, as well as sympathetic activity in patients with hypertension. Therefore, for patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus, carotid body is 1 new therapeutic target.
Let's get to know the carotid body now, the bane. The carotid body, known in English as carotid body, or CB for short, is located behind the bifurcation of the internal and external carotid arteries, and is a flat, rounded body with a diameter of 3 to 5 mm that attaches to the arterial wall by connective tissue. Although small, CB is an important chemoreceptor, and the nerve impulse signals it sends are transmitted along the sinus nerve to the medulla, which is home to the respiratory and cardiovascular centers. Here, you can make up the relevant plot of neck pinching and hanging.
From the physiological process, after humans eat, the intestinal wall will release glucagon-like peptides, which stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin, thereby regulating blood sugar levels. In this study, the scholars used a genomics technique called RNA sequencing to analyze information in the carotid arteries of rats. It was found that there is an expression of GLP1R in the carotid body, and this expression is related to peripheral chemical reflection. Through experiments that alter chemical reflexes, it was finally confirmed that carotid artery bodies are the key sites for GLP1 to control both blood pressure and blood glucose, and are also the targets of drug therapy.
High blood pressure occurs at the same time as diabetes and can pose serious health hazards to patients. Studies have shown that about 36% of people with hypertension have diabetes mellitus, and the rate of missed diagnoses is high. Usually, 1 in 3 patients with hypertension has diabetes, but in such patients, the missed diagnosis rate is about 15%. Another study showed that about 40 to 55 percent of people with diabetes had high blood pressure. Clinical statistics show that hypertension can increase the cardiovascular risk of diabetic patients by nearly 2 times, and the risk of cardiovascular disease will also increase by 2 times after diabetic patients have hypertension. When these two conditions coexist, the patient's mortality rate increases by a factor of 7.2.
High blood pressure, which occurs at the same time as diabetes, significantly increases the risk of chronic kidney disease or accelerates the course of the disease. Therefore, avoiding kidney damage is a key point in disease management, and controlling blood pressure to the standard range can reduce the risk of uremia. At present, the use of sartan antihypertensive drugs and liegin hypoglycemic drugs can play a role in protecting kidney function. Therefore, patients with hypertension or diabetes should first have relevant awareness, pay attention to the management of blood pressure and blood sugar at the same time, and carefully choose the treatment plan.
In patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus, the target blood pressure should be less than 130 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure below 80 mmHg, although the results show that only 31% of patients can control blood pressure within the target range. Scholars believe that for diabetic patients, increased blood pressure often coexists with high blood sugar, dyslipidemia, obesity, smoking and other risk factors, therefore, the prevention and control of diseases should be regarded as a whole, the focus should be on metabolic disorders, strengthen lifestyle management, such as diet moderation, physical activity, smoking cessation, alcohol restriction, to ensure sleep quality, maintain peace of mind, at the same time, strengthen the monitoring of blood pressure and blood sugar, standardize medication. Finally, let us all hope that scientists can develop a special drug that can control blood pressure and blood sugar at the same time for the target of carotid body as soon as possible.
Whoever loves, pass on health to whom.