Thursday, October 4, 2007

Foods to limit or avoid ,foods high in sodium (check labels)

If you are having high blood pressure then it becomes important for you to Make Healthy Food Choices .These foods are relatively high in potassium and low in sodium. Certain salt substitutes contain a large amount of potassium and very little sodium. They’re not expensive and may be used freely by most people, except those who have kidney disease Check with your doctor before choosing a salt substitute.

Foods to limit or avoid are

  • Frozen or canned foods high in sodium (check labels)
  • Salted or preserved meats
  • Salted snack foods

Diuretic plus ACE inhibitor reduced risk for diabetic heart disease

Using a combination of diuretics and ACE inhibitors to manage blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes can help protect against heart disease.
The worldwide study known as ADVANCE, found that by combined therapy it reduced the risk of dying from heart disease by 18 percent.Heart disease kills two out of three people with diabetes, who are at increased risk of stroke, heart attacks and related conditions such as degenerative eye disease. Blood pressure management is recommended to reduce the risk of heart disease.

The study tracked more than 11,100 people with type 2 diabetes from 215 medical centers in 20 countries for four years.They received either a combination of the ACE inhibitor perindopril and the diuretic indapamide or a placebo.
Over the course of the four years ,the researchers found that people with the combined therapy had an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of 5-6 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure of 2 mm Hg compared with the placebo group.This combined therapy less likely to have a heart disease event, such as stroke or heart attack, over the treatment period.If the drugs lower blood pressure as much and do not have metabolic side-effects, would be as protective as this combination treatment

Can weight loss control Hypertension

It is found that overweight can be a direct cause of high blood pressure. And that up to half of overweight people can bring down blood pressure to healthy levels by weight reduction.It is suggested that in the first stages of overweight, if we can induce people to reduce overweight, they can also avoid being treated for hypertension.

The study included 210 men and women whose body mass index [a ratio of weight to height] was between 25 and 29.9, indicating overweight but just short of the 30 mark of obesity. Their systolic blood pressure was between 140 and 159, and their diastolic pressure was between 90 and 99, indicating moderately high blood pressure.

To know more about how to lose weight ,you can find lot of information at the following link
http://www.lose-your-body-fat.com/
those who are concerned about there high blod pressure can checkout the following link.
http://www.americanvistas.com/index.html

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Cutting down on salt if with high blood pressure

Eating less salt can help reduce blood pressure. We can all take steps to cut down on salt by shopping wisely and being sparing with salt at home.Lots of everyday foods are high in salt. In fact, 75% of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy.Foods such as bacon, cheese and pickles are salty because of how they are made. Soy sauce, yeast extract and stock cubes are also high in salt.Often foods such as breakfast cereal, baked beans, biscuits, soup, pizza and ready meals are high in salt. The amount of salt they contain varies from one brand or recipe to another. So compare different products by checking the labels.

How do I know if I have high blood pressure?

Most people with high blood pressure don't have any symptoms. The only way to find out is to have your blood pressure measured.Everyone's blood pressure goes up and down at different times of the day. Sometimes it can be higher when you're anxious or stressed. Usually your doctor or nurse will take your blood pressure several times before deciding if you have high blood pressure. Then your doctor may prescribe medication to lower your blood pressure.There isn't a fixed threshold between normal and high blood pressure. But generally a pressure below 140/90mmHg would be considered normal.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Type 2 diabetes: Risk Factors

Type 2 diabetes: Risk Factors
  • Age 45 or older
  • Family history of diabetes
  • Overweight· Inactive lifestyle (exercise less than 3 times a week)
  • African American, Hispanic/Latin American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian American, or Pacific Islander ethnicity
  • High blood pressure (140/90 mm/Hg or higher)
  • HDL (“good”) cholesterol less than 35 mg/dL or triglyceride level 250 mg/dL or higher
  • Have had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or have given birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (metabolic disorder that affects female reproductive system
  • Acanthosis nigricans (dark, thickened skin around neck or armpits)
  • History of disease of blood vessels to the heart, brain, or legs
  • Diabetes test history of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)

Type 1 diabetes: Risk Factors

Type 1 diabetes: Risk Factors

Having Other Immune Abnormalities
The incidence of type 1 is higher than average among people with other autoimmune diseases, including Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis (a form of hypothyroidism), Addison's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and pernicious anemia. Research has raised the possibility that all autoimmune diseases share a common genetic basis. T-cell immune factors in type 1 diabetes target the same self-antigens as in multiple sclerosis (MS). Both diseases have been associated with cow's milk protein. Many questions are unanswered, however. It is not known why the diseases develop in different locations to cause separate disorders or why some autoimmune events occur in everyone but not everyone develops an autoimmune disease.