Can you live a "typical, normal life" with diabetes type 2 and high blood pressure?

My FIL had both. Lived to be 90. Died of a head trauma. An uncle had diabetes and heart issues and HBP. Lived until his mid 90s. Both of these guys were active.
A SIL was a brittle diabetic and died at 52. She did not take care of herself.
My DH is 69, has hypertension, diabetes and heart issues. His doctors have him on a tight leash these days and he seems to be doing well. They stress diet and exercise which amazingly makes one feel better as well. With diabetes you are mostly in control. Loose the weight, walk every day and you can turn a corner. Go for a plant based diet, low sodium, lots of fiber. DH just started using the Dexcom G-6 to monitor his blood sugar. He loves it. Wishes he had gotten it long ago. It’s an expensive disease that can ruin your health if you don’t manage it. But you can live a normal life if you take the time to understand how different foods affect you. He loves all the wrong foods but he also loves fruits and veggies which really helps.
If you are overweight, you can push both problems to the curb by getting the pounds off. I know it’s not easy. Wishing you luck.

You have great advice, how to stay healthy with DM2 & HTN

Warning: This is what can happen if you disregard your conditions.
I'll tell you about my husband. He was over 300# by age 50, when he was put on oral pills for B/P & DM. A few years later he started 2 types of insulin, up to 5 shots a day. He DID NOT follow advice regarding diet, exercise, insulin use, etc. Meals at home were appropriate, but not his fast food, and the terrible food that his work had at potlucks every week, birthday cakes, donuts, etc. His A1c was 10-13 range for 2-3 years. (Diabetics need to be less than 7) Drs warned him over & over.

Jump to age 74, in 2020, his kidneys have failed & he is on dialysis 4hrs, 3 days a week for life, He got a diabetic ulcer on his foot, that got infected and he now has a below the knee amputation. His carotid artery is 85% blocked and he is on blood thinners to help prevent a stroke. He is weak from dialysis and has severe back pain. I am his fulltime caregiver, but if he has a stroke (& lives) he will be too much to handle and will go into a LTC facility,

Hope this true story inspires you to follow the others' advice.
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I was diagnosed at age 50 and will be 69 next month. The key is control of your diabetes and never before in your life will the phrase, "You are what you eat" have greater meaning. Go to the nutritionist and listen to what is said. Exercise regularly. Check your blood sugar frequently--having a GCM is crucial. See your Endo and get your blood work done every quarter. In the last two years, Ozempic and the GCM tightened my control and I lost 39 pounds. You can lead a productive and fulfilling and long life. Keep your eyes on the prize.

I am writing from the patients perspective. I was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure 18 yrs ago. I was put on meds for both. Honestly, I paid little attention to the Nutritionist's or the doctors. I was told to reduce salt, I've never given up the use of it. I was also never very good at monitoring my glucose, and stopped taking it, just waiting for the next A1C bloodwork. I was 40 when diagnosed, I am now 62.

I then started losing weight about 5 yrs ago, and I've lost and kept off 80lbs. A1C is down, BP is well controlled with the meds. for the last 2 yrs my A1C has been consistently 6.2, Bp is down circa 114/60. Docs are all pretty happy with both. Yes, I am more conscientious about my diet, I've been doing regular Physical Therapy exercises I learned a year and a half ago. and have continued with since I had the initial PT with the Therapist, and now, I've been continuing to do the exercises they taught me on my own for 1 yr now. I've had to take the last three weeks off because I had Cataract Surgery. Starting on Friday, I've been released to continue on with my PT. The PT has been very effective in relieving Sciatica Problems and a lot of Arthritis issues. So yes, Managing BP and A1C are a good thing to do.
Now my major battles are with Mid Stages of ALZ. Thanks to Agingcare and our friends advice on all of these matters has been good for helping me be connected to learning about this disease and enjoying the time I have left. I'll keep sharing with you all for as long as I can. I appreciate you all, and also fellow families that belong to the ALZ groups of Forgetful Friends.

Happy Summer,
John

In my own personal experience, if the patient is willing and able to control weight and eat a specified eating plan, it is possible to manage diabetes symptoms, and to a somewhat lesser extent, manage elevated blood pressure.

After my mother lived with us for the 9 months following her broken hip, I ballooned to a weight of 265 pounds on a 5’4” frame. During the several years I carried that weight, I took Metformin and went through 6 different blood pressure medications, all of which caused symptoms worse than my blood pressure.

Came the day that after over 10 years of that weight, I was to become a grandmother for first time, I decided that I would not be a grandmother that would not be able to play with her grandchildren.

I started Intermittently fasting, and stopped eating salt, sugar, grain, and dairy. I based all of my meals on veggies, low carb fruit, raw nuts and protein. I lost 100 in a year, and it’s never returned.

Until my Covid infection, my BP had remained stable. Just recently my systolic number has been elevated more than I like. My a1c is never higher than 5.7.

If you want to do your best against HBP and diabetes, you have to commit to stopping what causes them. You also have to stop yourself from thinking “I could never do that”.

If you want to change your life, you can.

My former mother in law was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1991, she had had high blood pressure her entire life. About 5 years ago she started to develop complications from the diabetes include diabetic nephropathy. She is 86 and have been in a AL/NH for the past 2 years.

Dad (92) has had high BP for decades, and was borderline diabetic in his 60's but he lost about 100 pounds and watches what he eats, never developed diabetes. He had a stroke when he was 86. he had had a remarkable recovery from the stroke. Dad has also had multiple skin cancers removed over the years.

Certainly maintain a good rapport with doctors and keep regular checkups.

For ALL of us, the best things we can do is eat smart and get exercise.

OP - a good, healthy eating habit is best. Unless a dietician tells you specifically what not to eat, focus on eating food YOU make, not stuff bought off the shelf. Keep it all as natural as possible. The "hidden" items in foods contribute to both of these conditions, although some can be genetic.

If you get in the habit of reading ingredient labels (not that white thing they slap on, read the ingredients!), you'll find most items have added salt and sugar and/or may have partially or fully hydrogenated oils. Sugar can be "hidden" when they use other forms of it, often ending in -ose. I gave a few examples in a reply to Okiegranny. Canned items are not as bad, but you should still read the ingredients, eliminating those with suspect stuff in them. Fresh fruits and veggies, raw or cooked, make your own pasta sauce, make your own primary meals, etc. The more you buy prepackaged, the more likely you'll be eating things you shouldn't!

Exercise is also key to both of these conditions. Work with the doctor(s) for a plan, as you don't want to start off running marathons! Start slow, a decent pace, walking. I lost 20# just walking on a tread mill at a work place gym. Started with normal but brisk pace, about 20 min, worked my way up both speed and elevation.

Although the doctor tested mom for diabetes 2 yrs ago, it was negative. She was on BP meds for as long as I can recall. She would get into exercise classes and then off, so her weight was like a yoyo, up and down. Clothes ranged from 8-12 (until she moved to MC, then L and XL! those ice cream bars and her penchant for sitting all the time!)

Anyway, several years before dementia, taking her to appts, I was baffled that her systolic BP was always at least 140, despite the meds. Never did see the diastolic. However, despite being overweight and high BP on meds, she made it to 97. Dementia started at about 90-91. She wasn't on any kind of dietary restrictions at that point.

I believe what took her was refusing to take medications. She had trouble swallowing them and dementia sometimes convinces people they don't need the pills! She had a stroke around Labor Day last year. That impacted her right side (dominant) and made swallowing more difficult. The more she refused her pills, the more likely she'd have another. Mid-December she did - had she been able to continue her meds, she might have lived a bit longer, but...

Anyway, she had a pretty active life (activity wise, not so much exercise, but she did try to walk - not a great pace, but some is better than none!) They had a place here and in FL for winter, went on trips, cruises, driving to old friends and relatives, etc. That slowed a bit when we lost dad, but still, she managed to squeeze out 97 years! She outlasted everyone on both sides of the family. I also don't think the high BP was affecting her heart so much (though it likely has an impact at some point, when the vessels are restricting), but the blood vessels are impacted, which is what likely led to her strokes.

Eat healthy. Consult with a GOOD dietician if you need to, but buying fresh foods, not packaged crap, and making your own meals and salads will likely help both conditions, may help you lose weight and may even make you feel better! Start slow with the exercise, getting ok from doctor(s), or just taking brisk walks, starting with maybe 10-15m/day and over time work that up a little more each week. This can help both conditions and help you lose weight. If you are committed enough, you CAN do this and stick with it. Just make it part of your routine every day. Get blessings from doc first, then eat healthy and move more! Be sure to get reg checks if you do this - you might need to reduce meds.

Many pets eat garbage food sold as "good" food and get diabetes too. A change in diet often eliminates it.

BP and diabetes are both mostly controllable diseases. Both can be controlled with medication and diet.

Before my wife had her last stroke in 2017, she ate whatever and whenever she felt like it. Her diet consisted mostly of high salt and high carbohydrates. She is now bedbound or wheelchair bound. She has advanced dementia.She is incontinent Xs 2.

She had the idea that insulin was made so that she could eat more sugar. Now that she has almost no control over her carbo and salt intake her insulin doses have dropped by almost 90%, but the damage has already been done.

As I write this, I realize that I need to adjust my diet as primary caretaker, I often eat junk food after I go to bed because during the daily grind of caretaking a bipolar narcissist spouse, I forget to eat during the course of the day.

You will find many different prescriptions. Some recommend a vegan or at least a vegetarian diet. I think the ADA is still recommending a low-fat, low-cal, modified carb diet. It also depends on what your mean by a "normal" life. Many people would say that the way I have decided to eat is not normal, but it works for me and is the only thing that has.

I have a family history of type 2 diabetes, and have been fat most of my life and had high blood pressure. I have tried every diet there is, and was unsuccessful. The low-cal, low-fat diet almost made me go nuts, seriously. About 3 years ago, I started the keto diet, which is high-fat, moderate protein, and extremely low carb. I lost about 55 pounds, but did not reach my goal weight. At the current time, I have gained back about 10 pounds and am trying to go back to losing.

Here is the important part in relation to diabetes. Even though I am still about 30-40 pounds overweight my blood sugar is normal and my blood pressure has improved to the point that I no longer take BP meds. Even though this diet is difficult, it is the only one I have been able to stick to long term, and even if I don't lose any more weight, I am happy with my blood pressure.

My husband chooses to eat whatever he wants, sit all day, and take a whole bunch of prescription meds. His condition is getting worse and it will continue to do so. Why? Because the meds only treat the symptoms, not the disease. They lower blood sugar but do not address the problem of beta cell destruction caused by hyperinsulimia. Advocates of the keto diet would agree with me.

I always recommend the books by Dr. Nortin Hadler, MD. The 3 that I have read are, Worried Sick; The Last Well Person; and Rethinking Aging: Growing Old and Living Well in an Overtreated Society. What he says runs counter to all that you hear about tests and drugs these days, and everyone has to decide for himself what is best for him (or her).

Here is a sample of what Dr. Hadler has written:

If There's No Benefit, Why Tolerate Any Risk?
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=3232247&page=1

As you can see, he is not on board with all the tests and drugs that are pushed on us today.

If you are already on diabetes meds and want to try a low carb diet, you will have to do it gradually to avoid a dangerous low blood sugar. Test frequently and decrease carbs gradually.

I am an RN. Neither disease is a death sentence. The older one gets, the more likely one is to have either or both diseases.

Diabetes type 2 can be controlled with diet and exercise in most cases. Ask your doctor for a consult with a registered dietician and a physical therapist. Follow their recommendations. Sometimes, medication is needed but it usually helps your body either excrete sugar or make your insulin more effective. Keeping your blood sugar within normal limits is the best way to ensure a full and healthy life with diabetes.

High blood pressure usually occurs as we age because our blood vessels are less supple. Low salt and low fat diets (registered dietician can help) tend to help with this problem. Moderate exercise can help with this too (physical therapist can help with this). It may take some trying some different medications to find the right combination to help keep your blood pressure in normal limits. Some studies have shown a link between HBP and menopause. Talk with your doctor about whether a course of HRT with a very slow tapering off period may be helpful. If you can get your blood pressure to stay within normal limits, you will live a normal life span.