Hypertension in Diabetes
07/08 -
from "Rust Out" by Dr Bailey pages 77 and 78
High blood pressure, (also known as hypertension), means your heart has to work too hard to push blood through your blood vessels. Add diabetes to your hypertension and this increases your risk of serious illness and premature death. Having diabetes can increase your body’s internal age by as much as 15 years (example; your 50 but your body acts like it’s 65). With diabetes and hypertension you typically have no warning signs or symptoms, thus you should take this disease very seriously. Diabetes and hypertension can damage some or all of your body’s important organs before you are even aware you have it.
STROKE: Some of your brain tissue is destroyed so you might not be able to talk, walk or control your body. Strokes occur twice as often in diabetes with hypertension as in diabetes with normal blood pressures.
HEART ATTACK: Heart attacks kill part of the heart muscle and make what’s left work even harder. Heart failure results when the heart muscle loses its ability to pump enough blood through the body.
KIDNEY FAILURE: The kidneys filter blood and clean wastes out of the body. When the kidney’s fail, the body slowly becomes poisoned, causing death. Diabetic patients account for 25% of all new cases of kidney disease.
BLINDNESS: Tiny blood vessels in the back of the eye can burst and damage the surrounding tissue. Diabetic eye disease (retinopathy) is the leading cause of new blindness in the United States.
HARDENING OF THE ARTERIES (atherosclerosis): Narrowing of the vessels forces blood through smaller openings, increasing the burden on your heart and your risk of stroke and kidney failure. More diabetics develop atherosclerosis, and at an earlier age, than non diabetics.
VASCULAR DISEASE: Lameness, leg pain and amputation may occur in your lower legs as a result of hypertension and diabetes, age, high cholesterol, excessive weight, race and smoking. Diabetic patients are 30 times more likely to develop these complications.
YOU CAN GET CONTROL!
Control of your diabetes and hypertension isn’t easy, but a good effort on your part will increase your chances of maintaining a normal, active life. Understand and stick to the treatment plan recommended by your doctor.
CONTROL YOUR DIET: Weight reduction may lower your blood pressure and sugar levels. In some families, obesity (20% above ideal weight) alone may cause diabetes and hypertension. Even if you are not obese, it’s a good idea to reduce your fat intake or it may cause a rusting-like effect of your blood vessels.
• Use little to no butter, fat or oil in your cooking.
• Avoid fried foods. Bake, steam, boil or broil your food instead. (I have a diabetic patient that always stir-fries her food with water.)
• Eat little to no meat and reduce your protein. High protein meals have been linked to cancer, osteoporosis (thin bones), kidney failure, gout, obesity, heart disease and aggressive/intolerant behaviors.
• Avoid alcohol: alcohol increases your triglyceride fats, which may already to dangerously elevated from your increased blood sugars.
• Drink water: not fruit juice, seltzers, decaffeinated diet soft drinks, skim milk or decaffeinated coffee–just water.
EAT LESS SALT (Sodium): Too much salt can raise your blood pressure and harm your kidneys. For every molecule of sodium, the body retains a molecule of water.
• Avoid foods like pickles, salted chips, canned soups, smoked meats and ketchup.
• Add herbs instead of salt or MSG.
• Try “low sodium” or salt-free” foods and snacks.
AVOID STRESS: Stress will affect your blood sugar and pressure levels.
• If possible, try to change what’s stressful in your work and home environment.
• Try to react calmly to stressful conditions that you cannot change or avoid.
• Turn your stresses over to God and don’t pick them back up!
QUIT SMOKING: Smoking can cause lung cancer, stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure. It also can damage and constrict your blood vessels, adding to your risk of heart attack and stroke.
GET MILD AEROBIC EXERCISE: Walking 20 or 30 minutes a day. It can help you lose weight, lower your blood pressure, normalize your blood sugar, strengthen your cardiovascular system and help prevent vascular disease. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.
Reference:
“Hypertension in Diabetes,” Knoll Pharmaceuticals, 2/92.
Paulien, G.B., “The Divine Philosophy And Science Of Health And Healing,” TEACH Services; 1995.
