Heart Disease
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2.71 Diabetes Symptoms – Diabetes does not just happen overnight. It takes many years for it to set in as a derangement of metabolism. That is why diabetes like hypertension is also called a “silent killer”. Diabetes and heart disease feed upon each other. The following symptoms individually or in combination may indicate the presence of this disease: excessive and increased frequency of urination, loss of weight, excessive hunger, weakness and lethargy, abnormal thirst, vision defects, frequent skin infections, recurrent yeast infections in women, tingling sensation or numbness, bad breath and red swollen/tender gums. The symptoms of vomiting, hunger for air and coma can be signs of Type-I diabetes that is worsening and immediate medical attention is necessary in these cases.
2.72 Complications of Diabetes for Heart Disease – People with high glucose levels tend to have less elastic blood vessels with thicker walls in addition to higher levels of triglycerides and lower levels of HDL cholesterol (that offers protection from heart disease) in their blood. The bad fat lipids in the blood clog and narrow the blood vessels more diffusely. These can lead to angina, heart attack or brain stroke. If a diabetic gets a heart attack or stroke, it is usually more severe, more extensive with a poorer outcome than a non-diabetic patient. Diabetics are 3 to 5 times more likely to develop heart disease than a non-diabetic; they are more likely to die from it. Heart disease is responsible for about 75% of deaths in Type-II diabetes. Women with diabetes are just as likely as men to have a heart attack or stroke. Besides being a major risk factor for heart disease, it also leads to serious complications of the eyes, kidneys and blood vessels. Thus diabetes and heart attack walk hand in hand, but good nutrition and healthy lifestyle can help in preventing the undesirable complications of both.
High Blood Pressure/Hypertension
2.73 Silent Killer – Abnormally high blood pressure (BP) or hypertension – to give it the correct medical term – is the most world-wide common lifestyle non-infective chronic disease of the modern age. It is regarded as the silent killer because one can have it for years without being aware of it. Hypertension remains asymptomatic and does not have specific clinical manifestations until target organ damage occurs.
2.74 Vulnerability of High Blood Pressure – People who eat unhealthy diet rich in fat and salt, are physically inactive and obese, lead a sedentary stressful life, smoke, take excess alcohol and caffeine, are diabetic or having kidney disease, take certain medications, have high levels of cholesterol especially bad LDL cholesterol, are most vulnerable to high blood pressure.
2.75 Blood Pressure Measurement – The blood pressure has been traditionally measured with an instrument called sphygmomanometer in millimeter height of mercury rise (mmHg). Blood pressure is the result of two forces: (i) the highest pressure produced by the heart when it contracts to push the blood on its journey through the body and this is known as systolic (higher value) pressure and indicates the activity of the heart; and (ii) the lowest pressure when the heart muscle relaxes before its next contraction which is known as diastolic (lower value) pressure and shows the condition of blood vessels.
2.76 What is High Blood Pressure? – Universally recognised normal BP of 120/80 represents 120mmHg of systolic pressure and 80mmHg of diastolic pressure, but healthy range extends either side. Systolic pressure range can be from 80 to 300 and diastolic from 60 to 140. But any dividing line between so called high BP and normal BP must be purely arbitrary as each person’s body reacts differently to the same set of factors affecting the BP. Normal BP is the average for the world-wide populations as a whole. Even if your BP is normal, you may still be at a higher risk than someone, whose BP is persistently below the normal level. Therefore, the most useful definition of hypertension may be the level of BP where lowering of BP is necessary to prevent the individual developing complications like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease etc. There is a popular myth that systolic BP of 100 plus age may be acceptable which is highly dangerous. Individuals with normal or low BP without any disease are blessed with the possibility of a long and healthy life.
