Diabetes Control-How to Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Diabetes Control-How to Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Published by Thomas E Nelson at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Thomas E. Nelson

Discover other titles by Thomas Nelson click here

License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to http://www.Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

****

Disclaimer

By using this document you are accepting all the terms of this disclaimer notice. If you do not agree with anything in this notice you should not use this book.

This document is for general health information only; it is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Users of this document should not rely on information provided within this document for their own health problems.

Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed with your own physician or other healthcare provider. There are neither warranties nor express or implied representations whatsoever regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, comparative or controversial nature, or usefulness of any information contained, or referenced in this document.

The author of this document does not assume any risk whatsoever for your use of the information contained herein. Health-related information changes frequently and therefore information contained within this document may be outdated, incomplete or incorrect. Statements made about products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Use of this document does not create an expressed or implied physician-patient relationship.

You are hereby advised to consult with a physician or other professional health-care provider prior to making any decisions, or undertaking any actions or not undertaking any actions related to any health care problem or issue you might have at any time, now or in the future. In using this document you agree that the author of neither this document nor any other party is or will be liable, or otherwise responsible, for any decision made or any action taken or any action not taken due to your use of any information presented within this document.

****

Dedicated researchers seek better treatments and cures for diabetes, kidney disease, Alzheimer's and every form of cancer. But these scientists face an array of disincentives. We can do better.-Michael Milken

****

Table of Contents

Disclaimer

Chapter 1-Introduction

Chapter 2-Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

Chapter 3-Blood Pressure Basics

Chapter 4-How Blood Pressure is Measured

Chapter 5-Causes of High Blood Pressure

Chapter 6-Types of High Blood Pressure

Chapter 7-How to Lower Blood Pressure

Exercise and Blood Pressure

Weight Loss and Blood Pressure

Diet and Blood Pressure

Fiber, Blood Pressure, and Cholesterol

Sodium and Blood Pressure

Hydration and Blood Pressure

Stress and Blood Pressure

Supplements for Treating High Blood Pressure

Chapter 8 -Foods that Lower Blood Pressure

Chapter 9 -End Notes

APPENDIX

AGE’s (Advanced Glycation Endproducts)

The Kidneys and Blood Pressure

Glycemic Index

Glycemic Index Table

About the Author

Contact the Author

Other books by the Same Author

****

Chapter 1-Introduction

Trying to manage diabetes is hard because if you don't, there are consequences you'll have to deal with later in life.-Bryan Adams

People with high blood pressure, diabetes- those are conditions brought about by life style. If you change the life style, those conditions will leave.-Dick Gregory

One of the most common myths about blood pressure is You can tell when your blood pressure is high. Wrong! Not even when it is extremely high. If it doesn't hurt it doesn't deserve attention. So it remains a silent killer. If a person consistently has blood pressures 50% higher than normal their life expectancy is less than 5 years; the risk of heart disease and kidney damage increases dramatically. There are good reasons why the first thing that happens when you step into a doctor’s office is that they take your blood pressure.

People that have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, often require more than one medication to control it. It is commonly understood that high blood pressure causes kidney disease, heart disease and strokes. It is estimated that nearly one in every 3 have elevated blood pressure; and half are undiagnosed. One out of every four over the age of 60 have high blood pressure. Studies have shown that despite having a family history of heart disease and high blood pressure, active people are 34% less likely to develop high blood pressure than sedentary people. Those that were involved in a light to moderate exercise program lowered their risk of developing hypertension by over 25% and those in a moderate or better program lowered their risk by over 40%; and their risk was only 16% greater than others with no family history of hypertension. Likewise, those that had at least one parent with high blood pressure, and were inactive, were found to be 70% more likely to be diagnosed with hypertension than those who exercise and had no family history of hypertension.

Blood pressure increases with age due to the accumulation of plaque in the arteries. Plaque buildup is a slow process, which is caused by a variety of things; mostly diet, inflammation, and cooking practices. For example, broiling, frying, or grilling meats causes the cholesterol in the fat to oxidize to become damaged cholesterol, very small particles of LDL cholesterol. Damaged cholesterol does not get digested, and it does not enter the bloodstream under the normal channels. Instead the damaged cholesterol enters the bloodstream directly from the intestines, where it travels directly to the arteries and deposits as plaque. Granted these damaged LDL particles are very small they accumulate over time contributing to atherosclerosis; and eventually heart disease. While it may require 10,000 of these small LDL particles to fill the space of a period on this page, there are millions of them in the bloodstream after eating meats that were cooked at temperatures above 300º F (149º C).

There are other changes that occur in the heart and blood vessels due to aging, which are modifiable if treated; that will develop into heart disease if not treated. Your heart has a natural pacemaker system that maintains the rate of your heartbeat. Fat deposits and fibrous material can accumulate in the heart muscle tissue. The pacemaker, also known as the SA node, loses some of its cells, which results in a slower heartbeat rate. Your heart can also increase in size, especially the left ventricle. The heart’s wall thickens, resulting in a smaller chamber size despite being enlarged; the heart will fill more slowly. These changes will show up as a slightly different pattern of an ECG test, and abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) will be evident; atrial fibrillation is an example of arrhythmias. A pigment (lipofuscin) changes with age and accumulates in the heart tissues, which causes the heart muscles to degenerate slightly. The heart valves (inside the heart), which control the direction of blood flow, thicken with age and become stiffer, which will cause a heart murmur.

There are receptors (called baroreceptors) on the membranes of tissue cells of the blood vessels, that monitor blood pressure changes that occur when you change positions; like standing up or during other activities. These receptors become less sensitive with age, which partially explains why the elderly develop orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure); their blood pressure drops when they change position like sitting up or standing up. They experience dizziness, because blood flow to the brain is reduced. The walls of the capillary vessels thicken slightly, which can cause a slower rate of exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and the removal of waste products from the cells and tissues.

Also, the aorta (the main artery from the heart) thickens, stiffens, and becomes less flexible. It is believed to be related to changes in the connective tissue in the blood vessel wall. Consequently the blood pressure will rise, and the heart will have to work harder. When the heart has to work harder it may lead to a thickening of the heart muscle (hypertrophy). Other arteries may also thicken and stiffen as well. Diabetics that have insulin resistance produce up to twice as much epinephrine (a hormone) as a non-diabetic, which has two significant consequences. First, the increase in epinephrine causes a decrease in the production of nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels muscles and reduces blood pressure. Second, epinephrine controls the intensity of the heartbeat. Excess epinephrine increases the intensity of the heartbeat which stresses the heart muscle.

Your blood also changes slightly with age, in that a reduction in total body fluid results; there is less fluid in the bloodstream, so the volume decreases. Also, the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow in response to stress or illness slows down, which creates a slower response to blood loss and anemia. The number of white blood cells (immune system cells) remain about the same as you age, however the neutrophils (on of the 5 white blood cell types), decreases, which means that the ability to fight off bacterial infections decreases.

Your heart will normally continue to pump enough blood to supply all of the parts of your body as you age. However, and older heart may have to work harder to accomplish that. Medications can cause your heart to work harder , as will emotional stress, extreme physical exertion, illness, infections, and injuries.

When the arteries become stiffer with age (primarily due to atherosclerosis -plaque buildup in the arteries), the restricted flow will increase the systolic (top number-explained later) pressure, while the diastolic (lower number) remains constant. Another contributor to atherosclerosis is inflammation. Inflammation is caused by an immune response to chemical exposure (like food additives and environmental exposure), which oxidizes the LDL (bad) cholesterol in the bloodstream; causing it to stick to the artery walls. While insulin resistance does not cause atherosclerosis directly, it contributes significantly to the process. The stiffening of the arteries is also known as hardening of the arteries. There are other causes of an elevated systolic pressure, like electrolyte imbalances, or too much sodium in the diet. Later, you will learn how you can remove the plaque from your arteries naturally.

People with a blood pressure of 180/100 or greater should not embark on an exercise program without consulting a doctor first. A blood pressure of 180/100 or greater is a very dangerous level that needs immediate treatment. Hospitalization is not uncommon in individuals with very elevated blood pressure.

Most do not know that high blood pressure causes structural damage to the brain, even in people under the age of 40; often referred to as silent structural damage. High blood pressure accelerates the aging of the brain; including damage to the structural integrity of the brain’s white matter, and the volume of gray matter. It is believed to be linked to loss of cognitive function in the elderly. Further, it has been discovered that there may be no symptoms of the damage as it occurs. Hypertensive individuals in studies were found to have lost of 6.5% of their frontal lobe, and a 9% loss of gray matter.

Clearly, gaining control over blood pressure as early as possible in life will pay huge dividends in the later years of life. Studies have linked elevated systolic blood pressure with cognitive decline and dementia. The risk of damage was found to be significantly greater if the participants were smokers. Hypertension causes the stiffening of capillary blood vessels, which causes the pulse of the blood in the brain to be stronger; resulting in greater stress in the vessels of the brain. The increased stress on the vessels is believed to reduce their effectiveness in nourishing the cells of the brain.

The nervous system plays a part in the maintenance of blood pressure by constricting or relaxing the size of the blood vessels and altering the heart's pumping action. The kidneys are also capable of regulating blood pressure by adjusting the volume of fluids (blood) in the body. Blood pressure is important in order for the kidneys’ filtration system to work properly. The kidneys have the ability to constrict or relax blood vessels. You can learn more about how the kidneys control blood pressure by reading