Heart versus diabetes

JohnyT2

Well-Known Member
Messages
82
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Other
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.

Oh, thats terrible, I hope you have recovered well.
Generally its been said high blood pressure has direct impact on organs more so on kidneys and when they say high its generally 140-190 so when i saw 240 i was like does it goes upto that high...because i thought meters where upto 200 or 220.
 

zand

Master
Messages
10,784
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Oh, thats terrible, I hope you have recovered well.
Generally its been said high blood pressure has direct impact on organs more so on kidneys and when they say high its generally 140-190 so when i saw 240 i was like does it goes upto that high...because i thought meters where upto 200 or 220.
Well I guess they are only meant to go up to 220...that's why 2 broke...
Yes I did recover well thanks. This was around 10 years ago. My kidney function is now back up to >90% (it was stage 3 kidney disease back then). The doc was worried about my eyes as he could see some problems at the back of the eye and he advised me to go to an optician who told me that whilst there was some damage it wouldn't affect me as long as my BP was controlled quickly so that the damage didn't get any worse.
 

Antechinus

Well-Known Member
Messages
135
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
why not?

As suggested delve into the science not just the headlines being promoted by vested interests.

The problem is that the science contradicts itself. I myself follow the LCHF diet as it makes more sense to me. The blood clot theory for atherosclerosis also makes more sense to methan the cholesterol theory But I have a Science degree and work in the health industry. If I was anybody else I wouldnt have clue what was right.
What I do know is that you cant diagnose high blood pressure from a single pharmacy BP reading.
All I can suggest is learn learn learn. This forum is a good place to start.
 

HSSS

Expert
Messages
7,465
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
At the very least doing more research and learning and listening will let people know that the gov eatwell, cholesterol, fat advice is only one side of a coin and it’s not the only option and you won’t automatically drop dead if you use butter and eat fattier meats. Alternatively you might also form your own views on how good the evidence on “their” side is, or rather isn’t
 

Walking Girl

Well-Known Member
Messages
314
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
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!

You might like to read Dr. Furhmans plan. It’s what I follow.

Some studies have shown certain grains to be inflammatory, particularly wheat. Certainly, highly processed carbs are inflammatory. I have never seen any credible evidence that other complex carb foods like vegetables, legumes and fruits are inflammatory, which is why you aren’t reading that they are. Eating a diet you dislike will never lead to long term success. There is nothing wrong with a LCHF animal products based diet either, if that’s what you like (albeit processed meats have been shown to be inflammatory in many studies, and dairy for some but not others)
 

Listlad

BANNED
Messages
3,971
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi
I am currently in France for a while. On the day I left the UK I randomly got my blood pressure taken whilst waiting for my flu jab. The pharmacist said it wasn't good news - 200/80. Anyway, I came to France as my surgery couldn't get me an urgent appointment - of course not! My French is not very good but I daresay when my EHIC card arrives I could see a doctor here. In the meantime I just don't know what to do for the best - treat the heart or the diabetes. I have lost 1/2 a stone in the last 10 days and have more to go but it seems to me being LCHF isn't best for the heart. Can anyone advise please? I would rather not have 'best guesses' I am sure you will understand that, but I wondered if anyone had any medical knowledge. Many thanks.
I have found that with LCHF that as my blood sugar levels have come down, so has both my weight and blood pressure. I am on half the blood pressure medication I was on before.
 

NicoleC1971

BANNED
Messages
3,451
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi
I am currently in France for a while. On the day I left the UK I randomly got my blood pressure taken whilst waiting for my flu jab. The pharmacist said it wasn't good news - 200/80. Anyway, I came to France as my surgery couldn't get me an urgent appointment - of course not! My French is not very good but I daresay when my EHIC card arrives I could see a doctor here. In the meantime I just don't know what to do for the best - treat the heart or the diabetes. I have lost 1/2 a stone in the last 10 days and have more to go but it seems to me being LCHF isn't best for the heart. Can anyone advise please? I would rather not have 'best guesses' I am sure you will understand that, but I wondered if anyone had any medical knowledge. Many thanks.
Many people believe that what causes the diabetes also causes high blood pressure and heart disease so whatever fixes the first should have a positive effect on the other. See Metabolic syndrome or hyperinsulinemia, the theory being that having excess fat around our middles, inability to regulate our blood sugars (type 2 diabetes in this instance) and having high blood pressure is a downstream effect of having too much insulin in certain susceptible people. The orthodox view is that being overweight causes diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
However you need a diagnosis from a doctor and if it does turn out that you do have high blood pressure your Gp is likely to prescribe you some anti hypertensives to bring down the immediate risk of damage to your arteries. It would then be a good time to think about how to minimise your risk in the longer term.
Eating less starch may help in that more fluid is retained by the body to deal with carbohydrate and whilst being overweight is a risk for a high bp, eating more butter and less baguette should reduce the damage being done to your arteries by excess insulin and blood glucose. If you did have high blood pressure, the loss of fluid caused by eating less bread etc. would result in better readings over time.
There are other causes of high blood pressure and you should discuss these with a doctor.
As for salt, it depends on whether you are salt sensitive as to whether that will cause a BP rise. Many of us are not salt sensitive so again its a question of general advice being given out that doesn't fit the individual! If you are cooking from fresh that a good indicator that you are unlikely to be taking a significant amount of salt in.
 

Mr_Pot

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,573
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
You might like to read Dr. Furhmans plan. It’s what I follow.

Some studies have shown certain grains to be inflammatory, particularly wheat. Certainly, highly processed carbs are inflammatory. I have never seen any credible evidence that other complex carb foods like vegetables, legumes and fruits are inflammatory, which is why you aren’t reading that they are. Eating a diet you dislike will never lead to long term success. There is nothing wrong with a LCHF animal products based diet either, if that’s what you like (albeit processed meats have been shown to be inflammatory in many studies, and dairy for some but not others)
Inflammation seems to be the new miscellaneous illness like "the lurgy" "gip" or "ague". I understand when you have some injury or infection and the site becomes hot, swollen and painful this is said to be inflamed but what has that got to do with diet? Seed oils are always accused of being inflammatory, is there any scientific evidence for this, and where abouts does the inflammation occur?
 

NicoleC1971

BANNED
Messages
3,451
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Seed oils are supposed to be inherently unstable due to the way they are produced and therefore inflammatory. As with most things dietary it is impossible to measure in modern diets where the fact that we tend to eat lots of processed foods, of which salt, sugar and seed oils are a large part, would confound your typical observational study.
I fear we're leaving the OP more confused for which I'm sorry!
 

Mr_Pot

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,573
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I fear we're leaving the OP more confused for which I'm sorry!
True but it would be good to hear from @philosophy47 if she managed to get some more readings of her blood pressure, maybe she doesn't have a problem, or at least not a serious one. At any rate the concensus seems to be that continuing with her LCHF diet won't make her BP any worse.
 

philosophy47

Active Member
Messages
40
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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.
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...
You might understand my concern then!
 

philosophy47

Active Member
Messages
40
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Oh, thats terrible, I hope you have recovered well.
Generally its been said high blood pressure has direct impact on organs more so on kidneys and when they say high its generally 140-190 so when i saw 240 i was like does it goes upto that high...because i thought meters where upto 200 or 220.
That's a really terrible tale. I do hope you are feeling better.
 

philosophy47

Active Member
Messages
40
Type of diabetes
Type 2
True but it would be good to hear from @philosophy47 if she managed to get some more readings of her blood pressure, maybe she doesn't have a problem, or at least not a serious one. At any rate the concensus seems to be that continuing with her LCHF diet won't make her BP any worse.
I am confused. I can't think what will happen to me in France if I go to the doctor's. No-one to look after the dog etc. I'm keeping to a strict diet in the hope of losing weight quicky and have sent for a bp monitor.
 

philosophy47

Active Member
Messages
40
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Many people believe that what causes the diabetes also causes high blood pressure and heart disease so whatever fixes the first should have a positive effect on the other. See Metabolic syndrome or hyperinsulinemia, the theory being that having excess fat around our middles, inability to regulate our blood sugars (type 2 diabetes in this instance) and having high blood pressure is a downstream effect of having too much insulin in certain susceptible people. The orthodox view is that being overweight causes diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
However you need a diagnosis from a doctor and if it does turn out that you do have high blood pressure your Gp is likely to prescribe you some anti hypertensives to bring down the immediate risk of damage to your arteries. It would then be a good time to think about how to minimise your risk in the longer term.
Eating less starch may help in that more fluid is retained by the body to deal with carbohydrate and whilst being overweight is a risk for a high bp, eating more butter and less baguette should reduce the damage being done to your arteries by excess insulin and blood glucose. If you did have high blood pressure, the loss of fluid caused by eating less bread etc. would result in better readings over time.
There are other causes of high blood pressure and you should discuss these with a doctor.
As for salt, it depends on whether you are salt sensitive as to whether that will cause a BP rise. Many of us are not salt sensitive so again its a question of general advice being given out that doesn't fit the individual! If you are cooking from fresh that a good indicator that you are unlikely to be taking a significant amount of salt in.
It's a bit tricky where I am so I have to make a guess at the moment. I am sticking to LCHF, trying not to eat meat. I got some salmon at the weekend but just can't face it, so the dog can have it. Broccoli soup for lunch should have been ok. Cauliflower cheese tonight.
 
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KK123

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,967
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
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!

I love this post, it is me exactly when I'm having mine done. I don't actually feel stressed but the first reading...well....Doc looks alarmed. Relax he says (then spends 60 seconds asking me about work, hardly relaxing), second test...even higher. Third and final test comes down a tiny bit and he just says 'We'll keep an eye on it'. It is infuriating, I check at home and it is always spot on!
 

HSSS

Expert
Messages
7,465
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
You might understand my concern then!
Not really. You haven’t explained why you don’t want to eat meat either. Or why and what you are having to guess at. Can your dog not be left to attend an appointment.?

Please don’t worry yourself into a state before you have more information, it’ll only make things worse. Take each step at a time, investigate the high reading of course but as lots of people have said it really is possible it could have been a lot worse than it typically is due to circumstances.

Losing weight seems your focus (which if you need to is always beneficial) but it’s often hard as a type 2 to do it with low calories and low fat, most here find low carb more sustainable and more effective simultaneously helping their heart, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and insulin levels
 

Walking Girl

Well-Known Member
Messages
314
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Inflammation seems to be the new miscellaneous illness like "the lurgy" "gip" or "ague". I understand when you have some injury or infection and the site becomes hot, swollen and painful this is said to be inflamed but what has that got to do with diet? Seed oils are always accused of being inflammatory, is there any scientific evidence for this, and where abouts does the inflammation occur?

Ask anyone with IBD (including Chron’s, UC, etc), rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, if what they eat matters. Rheumatoid arthritis is probably the classic disease with very obvious and clear links to food - the wrong foods, major inflammation - heat, pain, swelling, all the obvious signs of inflammation. Where does it happen in the body? depends on the disease. It can be measured in the lab, by the study of cytokines, mast cells, etc in response to an assault on the body - food, environmental, etc.

As for seed oils, no clue if they are or are not.
 

ickihun

Master
Messages
13,698
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bullies
When my BP was 240/180 I was advised to do gentle walking exercise.
My blood pressure is around 120/58 and pulse 61. Without bisoprolol my pulse was nearly 120-150 in rest. I'm still on bisoprolol 5mg. Oh and perindopril 8mg. Furosemide too. However I still get chest pain and across shoulder and middle back aches. GP knows and back Friday for some blood test results.
I may be starting 'the change' but will know better on Friday. No sweats or hot flushes, just pain and confused and missing cycle. Metformin has helped with acne and hair but not monthlies.
My body is rather confused. Still.
 

ianf0ster

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,397
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
exercise, phone calls
It's a bit tricky where I am so I have to make a guess at the moment. I am sticking to LCHF, trying not to eat meat. I got some salmon at the weekend but just can't face it, so the dog can have it. Broccoli soup for lunch should have been ok. Cauliflower cheese tonight.
Hi,
Like some others I am puzzled as to what you think you have to guess at and why you say you are trying not to eat meat.

After being diagnosed with T2D I changed from a High Crab Low Fat (= so called healthy heart lifestyle) to Low Carb High Fat.
I understand that LCHF doesn't suit everybody and that we are all different in out tolerance of carbs and our food like/dislikes and food tolerances.

The main change for me was breakfast which used to be porridge (boiled oats). Now it is 2 large boiled eggs. As part of my new LCHF lifestyle ( I count carbs - not calories) I have been eating more of the following: Eggs, Cheese, Butter, Cream, Full Fat Yoghurt , Red Meat, fattier cuts of meat, Nuts, Avocado, Salmon, Trout, Cauliflower, Broccoli.

I have lost over 11% of my body weight as a side effect from controlling my blood Glucose. I did not count calories, I did not do extra exercise, I did not feel deprived or hungry.
Whatever method you use to control your BG must be sustainable, it is for life - for a long and healthy life!
Thus, for me at least, a crash diet is not appropriate, imho they are not sustainable and worse still they reduce the metabolic resting rate meaning that you start burning fewer calories per day - which mean you have to keep cutting more calories again.
 

philosophy47

Active Member
Messages
40
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I do try to fast where I can. I usually do it overnight until about 2 or 3pm the next day. My bp was taken at 9am so maybe that was somethin g to do with it. Thanks for that, when I get my bp monitor I'll do a check.