Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of the most dangerous heart attack risk factors: diabetes and prediabetes, abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  In 2014, 8.5% of adults aged 18 years and older had diabetes. In 2015, diabetes was the direct cause of 1.6 million deaths and in 2012 high blood glucose was the cause of another 2.2 million deaths.

Hypertension also known as high blood pressure, is a  long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated.Hypertension is a condition that’s often present in people with type 2 diabetes. It’s unknown why there’s such a significant correlation between the two diseases. It’s believed that obesity, a diet high in fat and sodium, and inactivity contribute to both conditions.