Diabetes Guidelines

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Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of the arteries each time your heart beats. Your blood pressure is highest each time the heart beats, pumping blood into the arteries. This is called systolic pressure, and is the high number in your reading. The diastolic pressure measures the pressure in between beats, when your heart is at rest. Your blood pressure is lowest while sleeping and although it varies some during the day, it remains close to the same. Normal blood pressure is 120/80. If your systolic pressure rises to 140 or above, or if your diastolic pressure rises to 90 or above, this is considered high blood pressure.

According to the American Heart Association, an estimated one in three U.S. adults have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, and an alarming one-third of those don’t even know they have it. It’s no wonder this condition has long been called “the silent killer”.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney failure. And when it exists with obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases several times. If you don’t have high blood pressure by age 55, your chance of developing it at some point in your life is 90 percent, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Although high blood pressure can occur in both children and adults, it is most common in those over age 35, and is most prevalent in African Americans, middle-aged and elderly people, obese people, heavy drinkers and women taking birth control pills. Although many people get high blood pressure as they get older, it is not part of the aging process! Proper diet, exercise and lifestyle changes can help in prevention and lowering of blood pressure.

Commonly Prescribed Medication for High Blood Pressure.

In 90–95 percent of cases, research scientists don’t know what causes high blood pressure, but fortunately they know enough to have developed both drug and non-drug products to treat it effectively.

A wide variety of medications are available to medical professionals for treating high blood pressure. Although other classes of medications are sometimes prescribed, the most commonly prescribed can be broken down into five different classes of medications that work in different ways to lower pressure.

· Diuretics (water pills) work in the kidney to get rid of excess water and sodium.

· Beta-Blockers reduce nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels to cause the heart to beat more slowly and with less force.

· Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors prevent the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II, which would otherwise cause vessels to narrow.

· Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) block the action of angiotensin II.

· Calcium Channel Blockers prevent calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels, causing blood vessels to relax.

As of June, 2005, there didn’t appear to be much global agreement among medical experts worldwide in terms of recommended first-line therapy for treating high blood pressure. It is important to note that in June, 2006, The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the British Hypertension Society have come to an agreement within the UK, and have issued new guidelines, including important changes to help guide primary care physicians in determining first-line therapy. A major change is that Beta-Blockers, which have been shown to be less effective in preventing strokes and more likely to cause diabetes, are no longer recommended as routine treatment for the majority of people with high blood pressure. Instead, ACE Inhibitors (or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers if there are side effects) are now recommended in the UK for most people, with some exceptions, before trying other classes of medication for hypertension.

As with any medication, there may be side effects from taking ACE Inhibitors, and some should not use them at all, including black people of any age. According to the Mayo Clinic, a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, also in June, 2006, indicated an increased risk of birth defects in children whose mothers took ACE inhibitors during the first trimester, adding to the known risks during the second and third trimesters. While most people can tolerate ACE Inhibitors, some may experience side effects such as cough, elevated blood potassium levels, low blood pressure, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, weakness, abnormal taste (metallic or salty taste), and rash. Rare, but more serious side effects include kidney failure, allergic reactions, a decrease in white blood cells, and swelling of tissues (angioedema).

Very similar to ACE Inhibitors are ARB medications, and depending on the individual’s particular health issues, a doctor may switch between the two, and may sometimes prescribe both. The most common side effects with ARBs are cough, elevated potassium levels, low blood pressure, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, diarrhea, abnormal taste sensation (metallic or salty taste), and rash. Compared to ACE inhibitors, cough occurs less often with ARBs. The most serious, but rare, side effects are kidney failure, liver failure, allergic reactions, a decrease in white blood cells, and swelling of tissues (angioedema).

On January 19, 2007, Rush University Medical Center reported findings that ACE Inhibitors and ARBs prevent people from getting diabetes, and that diuretics and beta-blockers increase the chance that a person becomes diabetic. The authors pointed out that more studies are required to determine whether new-onset diabetes leads to as many heart attacks, strokes or death, as long-standing diabetes. However, their data suggests that the differences between antihypertensive drugs regarding the risk for new-onset diabetes are real and are significant. Melaleuca offers a natural high blood pressure remedy called ProStolic™ which interacts with a natural body enzyme much like the ACE Inhibitors and ARB medications to relax blood vessels and allow healthy blood flow. As a comparison, it might be helpful to understand how the ACE and ARB class of drugs react, as well as how the non-drug hypertension remedy ProStolic™ formula reacts with the body.

In Part 2 of our Blood Pressure Research Report we will discuss the ACE Inhibitors and Angiotension Receptor Blockers, Natural Therapy for Maintaining Healthy Blood Pressure and benefits of Bioactive Casein Hydrolysate Tripeptides VPP and IPP.

Author
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/blood-pressure-research-report-safe-treatment-for-high-blood-pressure-part-1-123589.html

Singapore researchers recently developed what they have deemed a successful, tumor-free number of “pure insulin-producing cells from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs),” according to November news reports from Science Daily.



The cells have been produced to provide diabetic patients with pure insulin producing cells in order for blood glucose levels of diabetics to be regulated naturally. The researchers, from the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB), are still experimenting with use on mice and have not achieved a level of safeness for use on humans yet, but have noted that “none of the diabetic mice involved in the transplant developed teratoma, which are a type of tumor associated with ESCs,” according to the news report. The study was published in a recent issue of Stem Cell Research.

Developing Diabetes

According to MedicineNet, which is an online healthcare site utilizing information and resources from the authors of Webster?s New World Medical Dictionary, describe diabetes mellitus as a “group of metabolic diseases characterized by high blood sugar levels, that result from defects in insulin secretion or action, or both.” Approximately 23.6 million Americans currently suffer from some form of diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The New York Times also reported that diabetes was currently the fifth leading killer of U.S. citizens.

Diabetes can affect anyone, but there are several risk factors that may increase an individuals potential for developing a type of diabetes. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) reported the following risk factors:

* 45 years of age and over

* 
 genetic predisposition, family members with diabetes

* heart disease

* high blood cholesterol

* obesity

* gestational diabetes, when a baby weighing more than 9 pounds is delivered

* lack of exercise

* ethnicity

* previously impaired glucose tolerance

* polycystic ovary disease

What is Insulin?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains that there are 20 different types of insulin products produced within the body that are “available in four basic forms, each with a different time of onset and duration of action.”



Insulin is produced when an individual consumes food that is then broken down into glucose within the pancreas and enters the bloodstream to provide the body with energy. Within the pancreas is the islets of Langerhans, which houses the beta cells that are responsible for producing insulin.

Diabetic patients are known to either produce a surplus or not enough insulin or both, type 2 diabetes patients produce varied amounts and type 1 diabetics don’t produce enough. Those who use injectable forms of insulin to regulate their blood glucose levels often use insulin derived from animals such as pigs or cows. There are, however, additional diabetes drugs that do not use insulin from an outside form, but rather, utilize the body’s natural levels of insulin.



Byetta is one such drug, which is part of a new class of drugs known as incretin mimetics that are injected to “mimic the effects of naturally occurring hormones from the intestines and can help the body” develop more insulin, according to Eli Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals – the manufacturers of Byetta.

Prescription Drug Dangers

There are several varieties of type 2 diabetes medications that are available, however, several of the newer prescription drugs have also been linked to severe side effects among patients. For example, Avandia has been linked to the development of heart disease and bone fractures among patients.

Byetta (exenatide) is also one such drug that has been associated with serious side effects including the development of acute pancreatitis and inflammation of the pancreas among patients. Byetta patients who feel they may suffer from Byetta side effects are encouraged to locate a pharmaceutical lawyer to discuss their class action lawsuit.

Peter Kent
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/insulin-producing-cells-developed-in-mice-for-diabetics-685732.html

Tight Blood Sugar Control May Put Some Diabetics at Risk
WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) — Intensive blood sugar control doesn’t benefit people with both type 2 diabetes and heart disease — and it may harm them, researchers say.

Read more on BusinessWeek

Incidence of Type II diabetes and Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) is rising around the world. According to the International Diabetes Federation, 7 million people develop diabetes each year, at the rate of 2 people every 10 seconds! It is believed that up to 50% of people with diabetes are undiagnosed, and in some less developed countries, that number could be as high as 80%. This amazing number can be attributed to the slow onset of type II diabetes. People may not notice the progression of their symptoms, which include tiredness, thirst, constant hunger, frequent urination, blurred vision, weight loss, weakness, repeated infections and poor wound healing. Another factor that may contribute to the rise in type II diabetes cases is increased affluence. Increased income to spend on food, cars and other labor saving appliances leads to a fatter, less active society- two of the key factors that contribute to type II diabetes. This disease can have many serious complications if not managed, but many people do not understand how serious it is. Why? Because many people with diabetes look healthy. Yet, late diagnosis or poor management can lead to deterioration of vision and blindness, kidney damage and failure, angina and heart attacks, painful feet and paralysis, and foot ulcers and poor circulation to the legs and feet- the result of which can be amputation.

ARE YOU AT RISK?

            People with diabetes do not make insulin, or it does not work the way it should. In healthy people, insulin works with the food you eat to deliver glucose to your cells for energy. People with diabetes have high blood glucose levels, because the insulin is not facilitating transport of glucose into your cells. This explains the symptoms and complications of diabetes: your body does not have the energy to perform its necessary tasks! While there is a genetic susceptibility, studies have also noted that dietary composition, physical activity, and low birth weight contribute to the onset of type II diabetes.

People at risk are:

·         Over 40 years old

·         Have (or have had) a blood relative with diabetes

·         Have (or have had) diabetes during pregnancy

·         Don’t exercise regularly, or have a sedentary lifestyle

·         Are obese (waist measurement over 100cm for men, 95 cm for women)

·         Have high blood pressure or take blood pressure medication

·         Have a history of heart attack, angina, paralysis, stroke

·         Women with polycystic ovary syndrome who are obese (cysts on ovaries, irregular periods, problems with excess facial and body hair and acne)

·         Have previously had abnormal blood glucose levels (impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose)

·         Were born in Southern Europe, the Middle East, South East Asia; are Polynesian or Asian Indian

·         Have two or more of the following symptoms:

1.      excessive urination

2.      constant thirst

3.      unexplained weight loss

4.      numbness or tingling in legs or feet

5.      blurred vision

6.      constant fatigue

7.      itching skin or frequent skin infections

Diabetes claims the lives of one person every 10 seconds, and people with type II diabetes die an average of 5-10 years earlier than those without it. Don’t let this disease claim any more lives! UP TO 80% OF TYPE II DIABETES IS PREVENTABLE AND MANAGEABLE BY LOSING WEIGHT, INCREASING ACTIVITY AND EATING A HEALTHY DIET! If you are at risk, see your doctor for a blood test!

For more information about diabetes, its symptoms and risk factors, visit The American Diabetes Association website at www.diabetes.org or Societa Italiana di Diabetologia www.siditalia.it/.  For more information about what is being done to combat diabetes, the search for a cure, and ways to donate, visit www.idf.org.

Frank Napoli
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/incidence-of-type-ii-diabetes-rises-are-you-at-risk-666708.html

After being diagnosed with diabetes, many people work on improving their health to decrease the likelihood of complications. Kidney disease, skin disorders, blindness and foot problems are well-known complications of the condition. However, there is another risk that often hides in the background, unbeknownst to the patient.

Heart disease and stroke are major complications associated with diabetes, yet nearly 70% of people with diabetes aren’t aware of the connection between heart attack, stroke and diabetes.* Because people with diabetes often experience high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels along with other health problems, they are at an increased risk of developing arterial disease – a condition that can ultimately lead to a stroke or heart attack. Although this may seem dire, the long-term outlook for diabetics can be positive if risk factors are managed properly.

A Heart-to-Heart Matter

If you’re wondering how diabetes affects your heart, here’s how: A spike in blood sugar, blood pressure or cholesterol can harm your blood vessels by making it easier for fat deposits to cling to the arteries. Arteries and blood vessels can become blocked, leading to a heart attack or stroke. Fortunately, there are strategies for warding off arterial disease.

One of the first steps in determining whether you are at risk for diabetes complications is to assess your overall health. If you smoke, drink heavily and/or eat poorly, your health may be at risk. These factors can harm anyone’s health, but are especially dangerous for a person with diabetes. Making changes to your lifestyle takes effort, but can greatly reduce complications. To help maintain heart health, the American Diabetes Association suggests following the ABCs of diabetes care.

Lower your Hemoglobin A1C. Keeping your Hemoglobin A1C (a blood test that indicates how your blood sugar control has been over the past three months) below 7% can help prevent complications.

Monitor blood pressure. Have your blood pressure checked regularly. If your doctor tells you it’s high, you may need to work on reducing stress or following an exercise routine. Medication may also be an option for getting blood pressure under control.

Tackle bad cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is unhealthy for your heart. This type of cholesterol can lead to fat build-up in your arteries, increasing the chance that you’ll develop cardiovascular disease. By lowering your cholesterol, you can help keep your heart in working order.

On the Right Path

If you have diabetes and are concerned about your risk for heart attack or stroke, talk to your physician. Your health care provider can help monitor your diabetes and suggest ways to improve your health.

Learn how to live healthy with diabetes. Research your questions at: http://living-healthy-with-diabetes-swicki.eurekster.com/

* Source: Mayo Clinic.com.

Diabetes Info
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/manage-the-risk-the-link-between-diabetes-heart-disease-and-stroke-112130.html

I know the fasting level should be 90 or lower and lower than 140 an hour after meals and lower than 120 two hours after meals, but when I eat my afternoon snack, should my sugar level stay constant? Yesterday, I had a dessert for a snack and checked my sugar an hour later. It was 126. A couple hours later, I ate dinner and checked my levels after an hour and everything was under 140. So I guess the question is do I aim for the same guidelines for my snacks as I do for my meals or lower?

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Every diabetic knows that proper diet is crucial to diabetes treatment to achieve and maintain a desirable weight, maintain normal blood glucose levels, and prevent heart and blood vessel diseases. The recommended American diabetes diet is a healthful and moderate amount of meals taken at regular times every day. It consists of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods.

While professionals recommend nutritious foods as part of American diabetes diet, they make sure that the diet is motivating and easy to follow. Gone are the days when diabetes diet means strict rules, no sweets, and limited food intake. However, there are still some guidelines that a diabetic should follow in order to maintain a stable level of blood sugar throughout the day and night. Here are some of those:

Based on the American Diabetes Association, your daily caloric intake should be composed of 50 to 60 percent carbohydrates, 12 to 20 percent protein, and up to 30 percent of fat.
Avoid eating heavy meals. Instead, space out your meals throughout the day—three square meals and three to four light snacks are recommended. This will prevent your blood sugar levels to fluctuate.
When you are trying to lose weight, make it a gradual process. Do not forget to consult this with your doctor especially if you are planning to go on a strict diet.
Reduce your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol to help lower your cholesterol.
Use diabetes exchange lists in order to make sure that you are getting a proper mix of calories, carbohydrates, and other nutrients. In this system, foods are grouped according their nutrients. Because the foods are grouped based on their nutrients, you can exchange foods within their group and still get the same nutrient content but without the risk of affecting your blood sugar.
Eat sweets in moderation. Use sugar substitutes like aspartame and saccharin for your desserts. These artificial sweeteners have the same sugary taste like your typical white sugar but with less calories.

The secret to managing diabetes is knowing that foods you should take, being aware as to how much of these foods should you consume in one sitting, and following a regular eating pattern that you yourself created.

Read related article: “Diabetic Diet Exchange List”

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes recently, and when checking my blood sugar today it has been really high. More than double what it should be. My doc gave me guidelines as to what it should be, but not what constitutes an emergency.