Though not commonly considered, there is a direct link between diabetes and hypertension. Many overlook this fact, because they believe the two to be unrelated. After all, diabetes deals with blood sugar levels and hypertension deals with blood pressure. This misconception is quite false, however. There is an easily proven, easily seen correlation between diabetes and hypertension. It is important to understand this in order to maintain your highest degree of health when faced with either or both of these conditions.
The link between them, to simply explain it, is this: when your body produces more insulin than normal, it can effect certain key points, such as blood vessels found in the kidneys. These vessels can expand with the insulin and begin to retain salt. Your kidneys can malfunction with that. Also, diabetes can cause the vessels to harden. This restricts the flow of fluids and causes blood pressure to rise, resulting in hypertension.
As shown above, having diabetes puts you at high risk for developing hypertension. Hypertension is twice as likely to occur in individuals with diabetes than those without and it will develop in over sixty percent of people with Type II diabetes.
Because of this, it is essential that you understand how to avoid hypertension. Diabetes takes enough of a toll on your body without adding these serious effects. Together, diabetes and hypertension can raise the risk for heart attack, kidney malfunction, heart failure and more. So you must learn the steps to take to avoid hypertension. Discuss this with your doctor and also note some of the basic lifestyle changes listed below:
One: lower your blood pressure with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Meat and dairy products can raise your pressure levels. Try to substitute them with a vegetarian diet. While you do not have to completely cut meat and dairy products out entirely, you should to eat them moderation.
Two: exercise. The easiest way to keep both your blood pressure down and also maintain a healthy insulin level is to exercise. Consult with your doctor to discover your healthy bodyweight and then take the steps to achieve it. Steady, daily exercise will do much for your body.
Three: medication. There are some medications available that could help keep your blood pressure in check. You must, of course, make sure that these will not combat against any other medicine you are taking. Your doctor will be able to prescribe them to you and explain just what they do.
Diabetes and hypertension are related. Yes, it is possible to have one without the other and, yes, there are certainly millions of people who do. That does not change the fact, however, that you are twice as likely to develop high blood pressure when you have diabetes.
It cannot be stressed enough that diabetes and hypertension are linked together and you it pays to do everything you can to stop them both from forming in your body. Of course, some may suggest different types of therapy, along with the lifestyle changes we mentioned above. Techniques such as color therapy are quite popular these days and have sparked much debate over their efficacy. Should you decide to try these methods to replace or compliment your other efforts, it is important to understand the way they work, and to consult with your doctor.
Paul J Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/should-you-be-worried-about-diabetes-and-hypertension-134041.html
The increasing obesity epidemic among children today is thought to be a leading cause in the increase in juvenile diabetes in this country today. While not everyone agrees on the causes and affects it is hard to argue with the continuing increase of children with Type 2 diabetes who are also overweight. In fact as the percentages of obese children raises so does the percentage of those affected with juvenile diabetes at nearly the same rate.
There appear to be two main reasons for this increase in Type 2 diabetes among children. Most children these days have a sedentary lifestyle that revolves around watching TV, playing video games, or using their computer to chat with and email their friends. The second issue for many kids is their poor eating habits and nutrition. Living the fast food life style or eating a bag a chips while playing video games is one of the major reasons for the preponderance of overweight kids we see today.
For many years Type 2 diabetes was something that overweight adults had to contend with, mainly because children weren’t having the weight issues they have today. Type 2 diabetes in an adult is also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes. The primary treatment for this type of this disease is lifestyle changes involving diet and exercise for both children and adults.
One of the main concerns with type 2 juvenile diabetes is the affects it can have later on in a child’s life. Children with type 2 diabetes have been found to have more life threatening complications than type 1 diabetics. Some of the major problems juveniles with this type of diabetes face include heart disease, damage to the nervous system, renal failure, blindness, and limb amputations, particularly of the feet and lower legs.
The first line of defense against juvenile type 2 diabetes is probably the most obvious. Maintain a healthy body weight through proper diet and exercise thus preventing the onset of the disease. For children already diagnosed this same treatment applies if they are to avoid the complications to their health later in life.
For the juvenile diabetic a healthy diet is the cornerstone of their treatment. A well balanced diet low in sugar, saturated fats, and salt is the way to go. High fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables, along with complex carbohydrates are best for the diabetic. Even then foods high in carbs should be eaten throughout the day to help prevent large rises in blood glucose levels. Regular physical activity or exercise is also recommended to help insulin move glucose out of the blood and into the cells.
Childhood obesity is an epidemic all parents should take seriously. The long term health affects of all children are at stake, particularly with an increased risk of juvenile diabetes, a disease that will affect any child for their life time. By making easy lifestyle changes centered on a healthy diet and physical activity the onset of type 2 diabetes can be prevented, or even delayed in children at high risk.
Andrew Bicknell
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/the-obesity-epidemic-and-juvenile-diabetes-140633.html
How to prevent Diabetes has been a concern for many of us since we were kids. In my own family, my baby cousin was born with diabetes, so she had to have shots-injected once a day by my aunt, who just happened to be a Registered Nurse. Of course, while this many years later we have sub-lingual solutions, we have different levels of Diabetes (those not requiring shots included), and we have do-it-yourself daily blood glucose testing, for those with Diabetes or those with a concern for how to prevent Diabetes from going full speed ahead into full blown stages of the disease.
Besides my cousin on my mother’s side having the disease, on my biological father’s side, my grandfather had it. So my emphasis has always been (as it was taught to me) how to prevent Diabetes from setting in if you are genetically prone to it but don’t yet have it.
Is there a surefire solution for how to prevent Diabetes, though? Yes and no. Evidently, we can “delay” such forms of the illness as Type 2 Diabetes. According to such institutions and studies as NIDDK (National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases) and NIH (National Institute of Health), diet and exercise are found to help stave off the onset and symptoms. These findings are only reinforced by the additional smaller studies by organizations and institutes all over the world: from Finland to China, it has been found that at-risk people can slow the onset or fight the disease with rigorous exercise (with a goal of losing 2 to 7 percent body weight) and balanced, low sugar diets (with a goal of avoiding “trigger” foods). The sugars mentioned include, that is, sucrose, fructose, lactose, and other sugar forms found naturally and synthetically present in most foods.
In addition, from what I understand, Diabetes Prevention programs set up a regime that includes, besides diet and exercise, standard care and the drug metformin. According to CDC (Center for Disease Control), the studies applying such treatment/prevention measures found that participants who included a healthy diet, metformin, and moderate physical activity of 30 minutes a day/5 days a week, reduced their risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes by 58%!
I used to go every year but now go every two years to get a glucose tolerance test along with a general physical. And since I have Diabetes in my family history, the doc always admonishes me about “dumping great amounts of sugar” into my system. If I can conquer that, and walk at least five days a week, you can too!
Ann Marier
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/how-to-prevent-diabetes-97981.html
In order to determine if a person has diabetes, there are some blood tests that can be performed.
To perform the fasting glucose test, the doctor will take blood from a vein in the patient’s arm, but it is important that the patient has not eaten in the last 8 hours. The red blood cells are separated from the sample, and in the remaining plasma it is measured the amount of glucose. Diabetes can be indicated by a plasma level of 7.8 mmol/L or greater. To confirm the results, this test must be taken again in another day.
In postprandial glucose test, the blood must be taken right after the patient has eaten a meal.
In what concerns the oral glucose tolerance test, there are taken blood samples from a vein before and after a patient drinks a thick, sweet syrup of glucose and other sugars. It is known that in a non-diabetic, immediately after the drink the glucose level in the blood goes up, but then decreases gradually, because the insulin is used by the body to metabolize or absorb the sugar. In a diabetic, the things are different: the glucose level in the blood goes up and stays high after drinking the liquid. When it had passed two hours after drinking the syrup, and also at a point during the two-hour test period, a plasma glucose level of 11.1 mmol/L or higher confirms the diagnosis of diabetes.
The doctors can say a patient has diabetes if there are symptoms of diabetes and a plasma glucose level of at least 11.1 mmol/L, a fasting plasma glucose level of at least 7 mmol/L, or a two-hour plasma glucose level of at least 11.1 mmol/L during an oral glucose tolerance test.
Patients with diabetes can monitor their own blood glucose levels with the help of some home blood glucose monitoring kits.
It is known that there is no cure for diabetes, but patients can live a relatively normal life if they are carefully managing the condition. The treatment for diabetes has as main purposes preventing the long-term complications, and keeping blood glucose within normal range.
The use of insulin or oral medications are important in preventing complications of diabetes, but a careful monitored diet and exercise are also important.
In many cases of type II diabetes, loosing weight is important. There must be followed a diet that consists in 50-60% of calories from carbohydrates, approximately 10-20% of calories from protein, and calories from fat should be less than 30%. It is known that the number of calories depends on the age of the patient, but also depends on the activity level and weight.
A nutritionist or dietitian should be consulted, and there can be made a diet plan for each individual.
In order to lower the blood glucose levels in type II diabetes, there can be used oral medications. Usually, the first drugs prescribed for type II diabetes are in a class of compounds called sulfonylureas. We can mention tolbutamide, tolazamide, acetohexamide, and chlorpropamide. Glyburide, glimeperide, and glipizide are some newer drugs, that are included in the same class mentioned before. Seems that the role of these drugs is to stimulate pancreas cells to produce more insulin.
There also appeared some new medications to treat diabetes: metformin, acarbose, and troglitizone. It is known that all drugs have side effects: can stimulate weight gain, cause stomach irritation, or present increased risk in other situations.
It is known that there are made constant advances in the development of new oral medications for patients with diabetes. For example, in 2003 was developed Metaglip, a combination between glipizide and metformin. There was approved another drug, Avandamet, which combines metformin and rosiglitazone.
There exist a lot of drugs nowadays, and the doctor will decide which suits best for every individual.
It is known that patients with type I diabetes need daily insulin injections, to help their body use glucose; the amount and type of insulin depends on every individual. In what concerns the patients having type II diabetes, some of them may need to take insulin injections if they cannot control their diabetes with diet, exercise, and oral medication.
Usually, the most commonly used is the purified human insulin, but there exists also insulin from beef and pork. There can be mixed different types of insulin and given in one dose or split into two or more doses during a day. Also, insulin pump can be used in patients who need multiple injections over a day. Regular insulin is fast-acting, starts to work within 15-30 minutes, has a peak- effect at about 2 hours after it is injected, and the effect lasts 4-6 hours. Neutral protamine Hagedorn and Lente insulin are intermediate-acting, start to work within one to three hours, and last for 18-26 hours; ultra-lente, a long lasting form of insulin starts to work within four to eight hours and lasts 28-36 hours.
Alcohol consumption, too much insulin, too little food or increased exercise can lead to hypoglycemia, and the person having this may be hungry, cranky, confused, and tired. There ca appear other symptoms as well.
In what concerns surgery, the transplantation of a healthy pancreas into a diabetic patient is a successful treatment, but it is not clear if the potential benefits outweigh the risks of the surgery and drug therapy needed.
So, if you want to find out more about diabetes or even about diabetes treatment please follow this link http://diabetes-info-center.com/
Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/about-blood-tests-and-treatment-in-diabetes-130854.html
Diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions. Nearly twenty-five percent of the population of the United States is either already diagnosed with diabetes, or has pre-diabetes or Syndrome X. Two out of three Type 2 diabetics do not have adequate control of their blood sugar level even while taking medications. For the first couple of years a person has diabetes, almost no symptoms are noted. By the time symptoms are noted, when complications set in, it is even harder to control blood sugar levels and take the necessary steps to remain healthy.
Most diabetics do not regularly check blood levels after the first six months following diagnosis. Many more are not keeping to healthy diet plans or getting requisite exercise. Most patients diagnosed with prediabetes or those diagnosed with the disease find their levels are not under control at their yearly check up. Only when they find themselves taking insulin as well as several medications for insulin sensitivity do they realize the importance of exercise and eating healthy.
Despite all the warnings warning of potentially life-threatening problems resulting from diabetes, most Type 2 diabetics are resigned to their disease and are not controlling it. The medical community is concerned about the seemingly unconcerned response are met with by diabetics who are not managing their disease. There are physical, emotional, and behavioral problems that put people more at risk of diabetes. The profiles of patients with Type 2 diabetes include excess fat around the middle, chronic stress, poor self-esteem, negative emotions, and unhealthy lifestyles. If the patient is not in the habit of taking care of their body, it is difficult to get across the importance of doing so after a diabetes diagnosis. Self-care is not one of the priorities for the average Type 2 diabetic. Most are focused on pleasing those around them and refuse to put their health first. Some don’t feel enough self-worth to work on controlling their diabetes despite the fear of life- threatening complications. They find it easier to go into denial or just resign themselves to the disease than to make the effort to manage it. If they do begin down the path to a healthier lifestyle, they often don’t stick with it because they don’t have the necessary support system. If they have had trouble controlling their blood sugar levels, they get discouraged, which leads to acceptance of the disease, and they quit trying to control it.
The most effective approach is a gradual lifestyle change. Behavioral changes are crucial for the newly diagnosed diabetic to succeed in taking control of their disease. The changes don’t always have to be strict or drastic. There can be a gradual change in eating healthier meals, decreasing refined sugar consumption, adding exercise, and getting more sleep. The goal is to empower the patient to make choices that are fun, healthy, and personally motivating. It is important to have a support structure in place to encourage and recognize the diabetic’s success.
The bottom line is, the patient has to desire better health. You can’t impose good health on anyone. Many who already have diabetes or are predisposed to the disease are struggling with other symptoms of low self-esteem. A group of supporters that understand their issues and suggest better ways to take care of their health may be all that a diabetic needs to aid them taking care of themselves before it is too late.
Barbara Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/type-2-diabetes-a-new-approach-93524.html
