The Relationship Between Hypertension And Diabetes

Diabetes and high blood pressure are closely related diseases. They occur together so frequently that they are officially considered to be “comorbidities” (diseases likely to be present in the same patient). Unfortunately, diabetes makes high blood pressure more difficult to treat, and high blood pressure makes diabetes even more dangerous.

How Are Diabetes and Hypertension Related?

Diabetes and high blood pressure tend to occur together because they share certain physiological traits –- that is, the effects caused by each disease tend to make the other disease more likely to occur.

In the case of diabetes and high blood pressure, these effects include:

• Increased Fluid Volume -- Diabetes increases the total amount of fluid in the body, which tends to raise blood pressure.
• Increased Arterial Stiffness -- Diabetes can decrease the ability of the blood vessels to stretch, increasing average blood pressure.

• Impaired Insulin Handling -- Changes in the way the body produces and handles insulin can directly cause increases in blood pressure.

Although these common biological traits partially explain why diabetes and high blood pressure are such a common pair, in many cases, the two diseases are likely to occur together simply because they share a common set of risk factors. Some important shared risk factors are:

• Body Mass -- Being overweight significantly increases the risk of both diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Diet -- High fat diets rich in salt and processed sugars are known to contribute to the development of organ problems that can lead to both diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Activity Level -- A low level of physical activity makes insulin less effective (which can lead to diabetes) and can contribute to the development of stiff blood vessels, increasing the risk of high blood pressure.

Preventive strategies for both high blood pressure and diabetes usually focus on these specific risk factors.

• How Common is Hypertension in People with Diabetes?

  Data from one large, widely referenced study on type 1 diabetes showed:
  • 5 percent of patients have high blood pressure within 10 years
  • 3 percent have high blood pressure within 20 years
  • 70 percent have high blood pressure by age 40
  In studies of type 2 diabetes, data has shown that almost 75 percent of patients with kidney problems (a common complication) had high blood pressure. In those with type 2 diabetes but no kidney problems, the rate of high blood pressure was about 40 percent. 
• Overall, when averaged across diabetes type and age range, about 35 percent of all people with diabetes have high blood pressure.

Original Article:     Relationship Between Hypertension And Diabetes

Avoid These Fruits If You Have Diabetes

Fruit is Not Forbidden But Some Fruit Choices are Better Than Others

If you have diabetes, chance are someone has said that you are not allowed to eat fruit.

This is not true; people with diabetes can eat fruit and fruit can be included in a healthy eating plan.

But, because fruit is a carbohydrate, fruit will affect your blood sugar and you cannot eat unlimited amounts. And certain fruits may cause your blood sugars to spike at a quicker pace than others.

The tricky part about eating with diabetes is that everyone responds to food differently.

While one person may be able to eat apples without any issue, someone else may find that apples cause their blood sugars to spike. 

Testing your blood sugars before and after eating fruit can help you to determine which fruits are best for you.

Other ways to keep blood sugars controlled while enjoying fruit is to think about the context in which you eat it.

You'll have a better chance at keeping your blood sugars controlled if you avoid juice altogether,

limit your fruit servings to no more than 2-3 per day (1 serving = 15 g of carbohydrate),

pair your fruit with protein or include it into your meal as part of your carbohydrate choice,

and avoid fruits that are very ripe.

The more ripe a fruit is the higher its glycemic index, which means it will raise your blood sugar more than a food with a low glycemic index.

In addition to juice, there are certain fruits that make my do-not-eat list.

These fruits have been placed on this list either because they have a higher glycemic index or because most people overeat them, which results in higher blood sugar.

1.      Grape

One small grape contains 1 gram of carbohydrate, which means that fifteen grapes is considered one serving of fruit.

Odds are that if you are eating grapes, you are eating way more than fifteen.

To avoid overeating, its best to either count them and put them into a small bowl, or avoid temptation and choose to eat a fruit such as berries. 

You can eat 1 1/4 cup of strawberries for the same amount of carbohydrate as fifteen grapes.

2.      Cherries

Most people don't stop eating cherries at just a handful, which is why eating cherries will usually result in blood sugar spikes.

Similar to grapes, 1 cherry contains 1 gram of carbohydrate.

If you find that yourself snacking on a big bowl of cherries, it's probably best to avoid them altogether. 

3.      Pineapple

Fresh pineapple is delicious and sweet, especially when it is very ripe, which makes it a high glycemic index food.

Depending on how you slice it, the thickness and width can change the amount of carbohydrates and make it easy to overeat too.

If you must eat pineapple, stick to a 1/2 cup serving (pineapple cut into chunks) and aim to eat it with a meal or a protein rich food such as low-fat Greek yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese.

4.      Mango

Ever eat an entire mango in one sitting - you are not alone.

Depending on the size, an entire mango will cost you about 30 grams of carbohydrate and about 26 grams of sugar.

If you do eat mango, make sure to limit your portion to 1/2 and aim to eat it when it's a bit more firm.

As the mango softens, it becomes more ripe and its glycemic index - the rate at which it can increase blood sugar - will rise.

5.      Banana

You may have heard that banana's are too sweet. It's not that bananas are actually sweeter than other fruit choices.

Rather, 1 medium banana contains the same amount of carbohydrate in two servings of another fruit choice, such as one small piece of fruit or 3/4 cup of blueberries.

If you must eat a banana, stick to 1/2 and place the other half in the refrigerator for a later time.

6.      Dried Fruit

Dried fruit, especially varieties that have been coated in yogurt, chocolate or sugar contains a large amount of carbohydrates for a small portion.

Two tablespoons of raisins has the same amount of carbohydrate as 1 cup of raspberries or 1 small piece of fruit.

Replace dried fruit with fresh fruit to add volume to your meal plan and reduce the sugar content.

7.      Fruit Juice

Unless you are experiencing hypoglycemia, fruit juice (even 100% fruit juice) should be avoided.

Think about how many oranges it takes to make 1 cup of juice - many more than one.

One 8 oz cup of orange juice contains 30 grams of carbohydrate, 30 grams of sugar and no fiber.

The body doesn't have to do a great deal of work to break down the sugar in juice, therefore it is metabolized quickly and raises blood sugars within minutes.

Juice can also tack on extra calories without affecting your satiety and therefore can prevent weight loss and even promote weight gain.

Swap fruit juice for whole fruit, and limit your portions to no more than 2-3 per day.

Original Article:  http://diabetes.about.com/od/nutrition/ss/Fruits-to-Avoid-if-You-Have-Diabetes.htm

Sources: 

American Diabetes Association. Glycemic Index and Diabetes. Accessed on-line. August 24, 2015: http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/understanding-carbohydrates/glycemic-index-and-diabetes.html

Diabetes is a global epidemic

Diabetes is a global epidemic

Did you know that? The latest estimates in 2012:

◾More than 371 million people have diabetes.

◾Half of people with diabetes are undiagnosed.

◾4.8 million people died due to diabetes.

◾More than 471 billion USD were spent on healthcare for diabetes.

In the Eastern Mediterranean Region too, there has been a rapid increase in the incidence of diabetes mellitus, mainly of type 2. It is now the fourth leading cause of death in the Region and an estimated 22 million people have diabetes out of a total adult population of 290 million.

The urbanization and continuing nutritional change from a healthy Mediterranean diet to an increasingly western-style diet is associated with reduced activity , obesity, and a loss of productive effect of the traditional diet that risk factors increases the incidence of non communicable disease including DM , cardiovascular diseases Hypertension and cancer.

From Public health background I think we always should think of polices for continuing integration of preventive health service for early detection and control of DM

Overweight and obesity are the major contributors to DM

Are You Still Using Sugar?

Are you still using sugar despite all the information available to let you know that sugar particularly "white sugar" is dangerous to your health?

Here are one hundred and forty six reasons why you SHOULD STOP TAKING SUGAR NOW

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
5. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases).
6. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you lose.
7. Sugar reduces high-density lipoproteins.
8. Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.
9. Sugar leads to cancer of the ovaries.
10. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.
11. Sugar causes copper deficiency.
12. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
13. Sugar may make eyes more vulnerable to age-related macular degeneration.
14. Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
15. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.