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Carbs and Blood pressure

lucylocket61

lucylocket61

Expert
Messages
6,394
Location
Wrexham
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Is there any information on whether a higher carb intake can raise blood pressure?

I just noticed, looking back over 9 years of medical information, that the lower my Hba1c, the lower my blood pressure.
 
lucylocket61 said:
Is there any information on whether a higher carb intake can raise blood pressure?

I just noticed, looking back over 9 years of medical information, that the lower my Hba1c, the lower my blood pressure.
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Its not the relationship of carb to blood pressure, its rather relationship of high carb affecting blood sugar and then higher blood sugar to your blood pressure due to the AGEs production. Advanced Glycation Endproducts. You probably could read about "Wheat Belly" online where Dr. William Davis explains this phenomenon. The more AGEs you produce, the more damage you do to your arteries resulting in high blood pressure.
 
In my personal experience. My blood pressure has come down over the years since low carbing to the point where I have dropped one BP med and halved the dose of another one (with my GP’s blessing).
 
I started keto and my blood pressure dropped to 120/80 after 90 days of keto. Before keto my blood pressure was 135/90 (no blood pressure meds before or after starting keto). After 90 days of keto, my weight dropped from 275lbs to 240lbs. So it is hard to say whether the keto or the weight loss (maybe a little of both) caused the blood pressure reduction. Just my two cents.
 
lucylocket61 said:
This is also interesting about fluid retention, something I get.
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See also Why We Get Sick by Ben Bikman re body holding onto fluid via the kidneys to deal with carbs hence the fluid loss and keto flu symptoms when people rapidly drop their carbs, lose fluids and minerals unless they add a little salt. Then the body adjusts and blood pressure comes down unless there's another cause for it. Hypertension is a well known symptom of metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance alongside type 2, fatty liver, visceral obesity and low hdl/high trigs.
I think doctors are trained to look for those individual issues and treat them as such.
 
NicoleC1971 said:
See also Why We Get Sick by Ben Bikman re body holding onto fluid via the kidneys to deal with carbs hence the fluid loss and keto flu symptoms when people rapidly drop their carbs, lose fluids and minerals unless they add a little salt. Then the body adjusts and blood pressure comes down unless there's another cause for it. Hypertension is a well known symptom of metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance alongside type 2, fatty liver, visceral obesity and low hdl/high trigs.
I think doctors are trained to look for those individual issues and treat them as such.
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Interesting, thanks.

The DN just said to avoid salt. Which, given I don't have any added salt, and cook from scratch, is a bit difficult.

Apart from that, she had no ideas to offer and wasn't interested in my Hba1c/blood pressure relationship chart.
 
zamalik said:
Its not the relationship of carb to blood pressure, its rather relationship of high carb affecting blood sugar and then higher blood sugar to your blood pressure due to the AGEs production. Advanced Glycation Endproducts. You probably could read about "Wheat Belly" online where Dr. William Davis explains this phenomenon. The more AGEs you produce, the more damage you do to your arteries resulting in high blood pressure.
Click to expand...

I read a study (I guess it was in Wheat Belly) that concluded diabetics produce 60% more AGEs products than non-diabetics. I would think those with poorly controlled diabetes.
 
On the low carb forum it is quite common for people to be taking tablets for high blood pressure and to start going dizzy after a while so the advice is to reduce the tablets - it is advising on medical matters, but several people have had falls, one quite a serious one due to their BP dropping too low.
There are often reports of HCPs declaring that once on medication for high blood pressure it is for life, a similar attitude to the ongoing degeneration of type twos belief.
 
Resurgam said:
On the low carb forum it is quite common for people to be taking tablets for high blood pressure and to start going dizzy after a while so the advice is to reduce the tablets - it is advising on medical matters, but several people have had falls, one quite a serious one due to their BP dropping too low.
There are often reports of HCPs declaring that once on medication for high blood pressure it is for life, a similar attitude to the ongoing degeneration of type twos belief.
Click to expand...
I was told 9+ years ago, after diagnosis, and every annual visit since, that I should be on bp medication, all diabetics must take them, and statins, to protect us. Even though for the last 8+ years my bp has been normal. Apparently its part of the trifecta of meds we should all be on forever. The third one is metformin.
 
Very interesting post. I think it's one of those things that (unless sky high or extremely low) it's different for everyone, a bit like cholesterol. Mine is always around 120/90 whenever it's taken at the Docs so they go through the 'what is causing it list', weight - NO (thin), lack of exercise - NO, runs every day, etc . They um and ah and at one stage I went on a ambulatory BP monitor for 24 hours (had to go private). It showed that actually MOST of the time my BP was bang in the middle of normal and fairly low at night. So the once every 6 months check was pretty useless on its own. My point being, that the odd BP test is nothing more than a snapshot and it is VERY easy for a GP to assume it's because of someone's weight etc when it could be due to just about ANYTHING. Why do they ALWAYS put these things down to the physical appearance of the person before them and as usual just assume that if you have a certain condition ALL these things you haven't got must be treated anyway? @lucylocket61, have you ever had an ambulatory test? x
 
Katie1976 said:
Just gone into Metformin for type 2 and my BP is 240/129 on BP medication but my doctor has said nothing about carb reduction.
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Are you sure about that reading? Most charts seem to say you need emergency help at that level.
Blood Pressure.jpg
 
Katie1976 said:
Just gone into Metformin for type 2 and my BP is 240/129 on BP medication but my doctor has said nothing about carb reduction.
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That BP is very dangerously high. I suggest ringing for some medical intervention asap.

Incidentally, please can you fill in your profile? It's a great help to know from your profile what type of diabetes you have, and any diabetes meds you are on. We won't know how to answer your questions effectively if we don't know, as we may not see previous posts with that information.
 
lucylocket61 said:
I was told 9+ years ago, after diagnosis, and every annual visit since, that I should be on bp medication, all diabetics must take them, and statins, to protect us. Even though for the last 8+ years my bp has been normal. Apparently its part of the trifecta of meds we should all be on forever. The third one is metformin.
Click to expand...
I have this visualisation of your GP as that snake in Jungle book cartoon, singing 'trust in me, just in meee' - but I was told that I was a very bad diabetic at diagnosis - so I am living up to it and refusing all medication.
So far I feel - well - wonderful, to be honest.
 
Resurgam said:
I have this visualisation of your GP as that snake in Jungle book cartoon, singing 'trust in me, just in meee' - but I was told that I was a very bad diabetic at diagnosis - so I am living up to it and refusing all medication.
So far I feel - well - wonderful, to be honest.
Click to expand...
My GP has never tried BP or statins as my levels are fine. They are also more than happy for me to reduce my meds to zero if I can

Does sound like there are some who just have bad opinions, I’m glad I don’t have one.
 
I found blood pressure,is lower, since going low carb.

Then again I have lost a lots of weight, since going Low Carb.

I think weight def has a big part to play in blood pressure.

I also found cutting back on the like of cheese, help with BP as well.

I also found BG and BP both higher after a work out, but then dropped back down with an hour after exercise. So time of day have a major impact of BP too.
 
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