Many Diabetics also have another Life-threatening problem — high blood pressure, aka hypertension. Those folks having both of these two conditions furthermore incur a considerably increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease in addition to them. Their risk is approximately doubled as compared with that of a hypertensive but non-diabetic person, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). And they also run a greater risk of developing maladies affecting their eyes and/or their kidneys.
The ADA thinks that most Diabetics have lower target-blood-pressure readings than the 130/80 that they believe is typically targeted by non-Diabetics.
Some review: Blood-pressure readings are stated as SSS/DDD, where SSS is the systolic reading at the peak time of the pressure from a blood-compressive heartbeat, and DDD is the diastolic reading at the slack time in between heartbeats. The units used to express blood-pressure readings are millimeters of mercury, abbreviated mm/Hg; manometers, the instruments used to measure blood pressure, were originally mercury-filled glass tubes, often in a U-shape, and some still are — although mechanical manometers using pressure sensors have now become common. Mercury is a heavy metallic element, number 80 in the Periodic Table of Elements, which has the unusual property that it is liquid at ordinary room temperatures. As a point of reference, sea-level air pressure is about 760 mm/Hg. Most folks have between 60 and 100 heartbeats per minute.
Diabetics who really commit themselves to reduce their blood pressures can have some success, thereby reducing their other associated risks. Serious lifestyle changes may often be necessary. Diabetics may need to simultaneously change their diets, increase their amounts of exercise, and reduce their Life stresses.
One good place for Diabetics to start is controlling the amount of sodium in their food intake. To be sure, some dietary sodium is essential for maintaining human health — just not as much as North Americans typically eat; many common foods are flavored with sodium chloride, aka ‘table salt’. The American Heart Association (AHA) advises limiting sodium intake to 1500 milligrams per day, whereas taking in more than twice that amount daily is typical for most North Americans. Trying to meet this lower goal means not over consuming restaurant foods such as fast-food burgers, many snacks such as lunchmeats and chips, and even some ‘healthy’ foods such as canned soups. Switching to unsalted or low-sodium versions of foods can help; the AHA considers foods having at most 140 milligrams of sodium per ‘serving’ to be ‘low-sodium.’ And Asians can begin using low-sodium soy sauce in preference to the regular stuff.
Too much sodium in people’s diets causes their bodies to retain too much water, trying to flush some of that excessive sodium out. But that extra water, like any other extra body weight, makes their muscles and organs work harder — particularly their hearts and their blood vessels. Which generally isn’t good.
Some other possible positive changes: Learning to use low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Grilling, broiling, baking. or roasting instead of frying. Relying on herbs rather than on table salt to enhance flavors. Switching to lean meats.
A half hour each day of exercise. for instance, walking, swimming, or bicycling, can help to lower weight and blood pressure, to reduce stress, and to improve mood. Folks who haven’t been exercising need to start out with maybe five minutes of exercise daily, under the supervision of their medical practitioners; and to work up to that daily half-hour gradually, rather than just starting it Bang! all at once.
Health practitioners may very likely prescribe one or more prescription medicines, among the following types, for their hypertensive patients:
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), that relaxes blood vessels.
- Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs), also relaxes blood vessels.
- Beta-blockers, which can stop the body’s epinephrine hormone from speeding up heartbeats.
- Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs) that relax blood vessels and also act to prevent their undesirable calcification.
- Diuretics, to increase peeing to get rid of more salt.
- Direct-acting organic nitrates, that dilates blood vessels.
Some frequently used drugs in these categories are Benazepril, aka Lotensin, an ACE inhibitor. Irbesartan, aka Avapro, an ARB. Metoprolol, aka Lopressor, a Beta Blocker. Amlodipine, aka Norvasc, a CCB. Furosemide, aka Lasix, a diuretic. Isosorbide, aka Imdur, an organic nitrate.
And now there’s also Alistrol, from CLE Holistic Health, which is an herbal health supplement rather than a drug. Alistrol is a vegetarian blend of four herbal remedies traditionally used by healers in Indian Ayurveda, Chinese, and Japanese medicine to moderate high blood pressure. CLE’s Alistrol supplement is produced from herbs raised organically by CLE on its own farm plots, and processed using its own proprietary processes, for comprehensive quality, uniformity, and purity control; at every step of the way, the work is is performed by CLE employees. Alistrol has no known interactions with prescription medicines, so you can take it while continuing with whatever medicines you have previously been taking to keep yourself going. Alistrol is available in the form of precisely measured 500-milligram vegetarian capsules. Doesn’t Alistrol sound like something that you would like to try?