You & Your Health

Dear Shelley,
What do the numbers mean for my blood pressure?  I’d like to know if there are symptoms or ways to tell if my blood pressure is high?
Thanks,
Angie

Angie,
There are two numbers for your blood pressure, which are measured in millimeters of mercury.  A top number and a bottom number.  The top number is called systolic and the bottom number is called diastolic.
 
Eg.  110/60 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) The top number is 110.  That’s your systolic pressure.  That measures the amount of pressure in your arteries, it takes to get the blood to your body.  The heart is contracted, like a fist.

The bottom number is 60.  The diastolic pressure.  This is the amount of pressure in your arteries between beats.  Your heart is resting. 

This chart reflects blood pressure categories defined by the American Heart Association.
(http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighBloodPressure/Understanding-Blood-Pressure-Readings_UCM_301764_Article.jsp) 01/25/2011.

Blood Pressure                     Systolic                                        Diastolic
Category                        mm Hg (upper #)    ___________mm Hg (lower #)_________

Normal__________________less than 120       ____and             less than 80 __________

Prehypertension ___________120 – 139                   or              _80 – 89 ____________

High Blood Pressure
(Hypertension) Stage 1 ___ ___140 – 159        ____or     ___ ___90 – 99 ____________

High Blood Pressure
(Hypertension) Stage 2 _____160 or higher    _____or         ____100 or higher________

Hypertensive Crisis
(Emergency care needed)____Higher than 180 ____or ________Higher than 110_____  

You can’t rely on symptoms for detecting an elevated blood pressure.  There are usually no symptoms until you are having a medical emergency.  Keeping track of your own blood pressure daily would be a much better thing to do.  You can buy BP kits for the wrist pretty reasonable.  Remember to follow up with your Physician and ask questions!  

                                                                                                  ~ Shelley         

Dear Shelley,
I've just learned I'm diabetic. What kind of diet do I have to follow? Am I stuck eating salads forever?
Dave

Dear Dave,

Make sure to ask your physician before following my advice. I know being
newly diagnosed is probably overwhelming. So, I will address only the
question regarding your diet.

Your Doctor will order a special type of diet for you to follow, that a
nutritionist will go over with you in detail. Make sure if you have any
questions, write them down and ask your provider everything you possibly
can.

The diabetic diet that is used in my area is called a low carbohydrate
diabetic diet. I know that sounds a little foreign. A good place to start
is with getting to know your own body. Every person is so very different,
so knowing yourself is very important. Diet and exercise are very
important!

A diabetic diet will generally consist of breakfast, lunch and supper with
an evening snack. It's important to eat consistently 3 meals per day with
a snack in the evening. The American Diabetes Association has a tool that
may be helpful. Its called My Food Advisor and can track what you eat, help with meal planning, tips, recipes and much more. Here's the site

http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/my-food-advisor/?utm_source=WWW&utm_medium=DropDownFF&utm_content=MFA&utm_campaign=CON

One little tip to remember.

**EXERCISE can be the first and foremost thing you can do to lower blood
sugar**

Dave, you are not doomed to eating only salads forever. There are A LOT of great meals for you to enjoy.
                                                                                        ~ Shelley


Why does it seem that Native Americans are more adversely affected by diabetes?

At nearly 17 percent, American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes among all U.S. racial and ethnic groups.  (American Diabetes Association)

"Obesity and Native Americans:  According to the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the "thrifty gene" theory proposes that African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian Americans and Native Americans inherited a gene from their ancestors which enabled them to use food more efficiently during "feast and famine" cycles. Today there are fewer such cycles; this causes certain populations to be more susceptible to obesity and to developing type 2 diabetes."

             http://vltakaliseji.tripod.com/Vtlakaliseji/id2.html , 01/17/2010

There are only theories and statistics that can give us an answer to this question. Now that we are aware that we are predisposed to diabetes we can take steps to prevent it. Approximately 3.3 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives have diabetes and 30% are pre-diabetic. Let’s stand together to stop this epidemic.

                                                                                             ~ Shelley

* Whisper n Thunder is not responsible for any liability associated with questions and answers or resulting actions, that appear in this column. Shelley is not repsonisible for any liability associated with her answers or resulting actions by readers. All people are asked that if you have a health concern, you schedule an appointment with your doctor and seek appropriate medical care.
The advice in this column is for information purposes only, and in no way should be considered as treatment or diagnosis.


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