Heart versus diabetes
- Thread starter philosophy47
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Never get bent out of shape by the results of someone else measuring your blood pressure. If you really want to know then you'd be well advised to buy your own machine and test in the comfort of your own home when super relaxed.
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Two pieces of personal experience here. My blood pressure has dropped dramatically - from very high down to the lower end of normal - since adopting a ketogenic way of eating almost 3 years ago.
I have ‘white coat syndrome ‘ which means BP readings taken in the surgery are always higher than my normal. I now have my own monitor and the GP is happy to accept readings from that as it’s a similar model to the one they have in the surgery.
I have ‘white coat syndrome ‘ which means BP readings taken in the surgery are always higher than my normal. I now have my own monitor and the GP is happy to accept readings from that as it’s a similar model to the one they have in the surgery.
Snap. According to my "diabetes nurse" I'm hypertensive. She knows from my records that I have white coat syndrome, but for some reason seems unable to make the connection
My last reading at home was 109/80
Ryhia
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Never had to take meds for BP but during my period of very low cal dieting my BP shot up to around 189 over something. Given an emergency appt with the nurse practitioner who had to call the doc to attend as BP really high and heart racing. Doc thought I had gone into starvation mode. Not only was I on a VLCD diet but I was also exercising on an air walker every day which doc reckoned was bringing my cals intake down to around 500. Doc recommended I increase the calories to 1200 a day, instead I changed to Low Carb eating. I try to check my BP fairly regularly (when I remember) and its all been normal since, so thankfully this was a one off. - Obviously my case is different from yours and as already suggested you should try to see a doctor as soon as feasible and invest in a BP monitor which I find extremely useful as both myself and my OH both get white coat syndrome. It is interesting though what stress to the body can do to the blood pressure
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@philosophy47 - As you can see, several people have suggested their LC way of eating has led to general health improvements, including their blood pressure. My story is similar.
My T2 was picked up from some blood tests done as a result of a couple of high BP readings, taken in what I would desribe as sub-optimal conditions - the first after a very uncomfortable smear test, and the second after a whole bunch of travel vaccinations.
I also have white coat syndrome, meaning my BP tends to read higher when taken in surgery, clinic or operating room ante-room.
My advice to you would be to invest in a home BP monitor, in a decent make, like Omron, and do a series of BP readings yourself. Give it a few days, because you are likely to feel a bit stressed when you start doing in, but also in the meantime, try to get yourself an appointment with a physician who can make a decent assessment of your BP and any other associated risk factors.
Fingers crossed when you do your own BP the numbers will be a bit lower.
Whatever you do; don't ignore it though.
My T2 was picked up from some blood tests done as a result of a couple of high BP readings, taken in what I would desribe as sub-optimal conditions - the first after a very uncomfortable smear test, and the second after a whole bunch of travel vaccinations.
I also have white coat syndrome, meaning my BP tends to read higher when taken in surgery, clinic or operating room ante-room.
My advice to you would be to invest in a home BP monitor, in a decent make, like Omron, and do a series of BP readings yourself. Give it a few days, because you are likely to feel a bit stressed when you start doing in, but also in the meantime, try to get yourself an appointment with a physician who can make a decent assessment of your BP and any other associated risk factors.
Fingers crossed when you do your own BP the numbers will be a bit lower.
Whatever you do; don't ignore it though.
I'm not sure that's true. There can be many other reasons why a heart may be unhealthy independent of diabetes. It is always best to get these things checked out properly, in my opinion it is a mistake to simply assume every issue is to do with diabetes. I do agree that good control of diabetes is always a good thing though but as I say it doesn't mean that everything else will also be 'good'. Many people without diabetes still have heart problems.
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LittleGreyCat
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Diet drinks - the artificial sweeteners taste vile.
Having to forswear foods I have loved all my life.
Trying to find low carb meals when eating out.
Just to note that I have white coat syndrome which always bumps up my BP.
My DSN is very good; first reading {whoop whoop whoop emergency!!!}.
I close my eyes, slow and deepen my breathing as learned in Yoga class.
Second reading; that's an improvement.
Chill....chilll....Ommmm....
Third reading; that looks pretty good!
Mr_Pot
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I just take a few blood pressure readings at home over the week before a test, give the DN the average and she enters it in my record.
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It's just that things I have seen about improving heart health include things like oats, lentils etc which are not included in the LCHF diet. I cannot go on eating meat it's a heck of a diet to change to and I have always hated it but stuck with it as it is so heavily recommended. Now the heart thing!
Guzzler
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It is all back to front. Grains and legumes i.e any food high in carbohydrates are inflammatory. There is no evidence that 'healthy whole grains' benefit heart health because there have not been any specific studies of these foods.
LCHF and Keto has been proven beneficial for high blood pressure and you have read some of the accounts in the comments upthread about this. You may like to view some of Virta Health's videos on the diet wrt cardio vascular health.
My advice would be to learn more about the science behind the way of eating before you make up your mind what is and what isn't unhealthy. Oh and give up the seed (vegetable) oils, too, as these are also inflammatory.
It's amazing, I read stuff and it all conflicts, I have been glued to the internet since he told me what the readings were. Best thing I can think of at the moment is to lose some drastic weight and see what that does for me. It can't kill me I suppose.
HSSS
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why not?
what do you hate? It’s recommended because it works, unlike inflammatory carbs. As suggested delve into the science not just the headlines being promoted by vested interests.
It’s not necessarily a heart thing. It was a single isolated high bp reading under stressful circumstances. Sure it needs checking but it could easily be nothing serious or could easily be rectified by low carb eating as it has been for others.
Guzzler
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Losing excess weight is always going to be a great thing to do. Cutting down or giving up foods which provoke too high a glucose spike (that means those pesky oats and lentils) therefore the resulting insulin spike is the way forward.
NB High levels of insulin is unwise, too.
NB High levels of insulin is unwise, too.
JohnyT2
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Do they have BP monitors that goes upto 240?
What where you on....Steroids?
My doc would get heart attack if he saw such numbers...
Well yes of course they have monitors that go that high, that's how I got my reading!
I had a very bad whiplash injury years before that and have had recurrent neck pain ever since. I had been out on a day trip with hubby who drove faster than I would like on windy roads, and had really bad neck pain again, hence the visit to the doc who was a new doc in the last year of his training. He took my BP as a matter of course and then flew out of the room to get help as the monitor broke. So did the next one. The 3rd one gave the 240/180 reading. The neck pain had been pressure building in the veins at the back of the neck. He told me I was hours off having a stroke and I had 2 choices, go straight to hospital or take BP tablets over the weekend and have only very gentle exercise, no stress and come back on Monday. I chose the 2nd option and by Monday the top figure was down to 200.
No I wasn't on any medication at all at the time. I had had BP at 160/100 2 years before that, but my doc monitored it and it came down to normal levels without drugs. The neck pain was my only symptom.
