Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

[ladyknight26]

After monitoring my blood sugars for a while and changing my diet I lowered my fasting blood sugar to 172. This is much better then the 300 readings I've been getting; however, my dad said that my blood pressure readings are too high. I wanted to know how to get them down. I stop using salt and use Mrs. Dash and Lemon Pepper to season food. My readings July 18 were morning 136/107, bedtime 147/115; July 19 Morning 136/101, After lunch 148/111 and Bedtime 144/115. This morning it was 141/108. I am taking Junumet for my Diabetes, but I am not on any blood pressure medicine. What are some other ways to bring it down.

[WaveRider]

Niacin in most people causes the face to flush/blush. No flush Niacin is readily available OTC. A word of caution, however, Niacin is a B3 and B3's are known to elevate blood sugars. Test your bs often and on a regular basis.
Good luck -

[caregiver222]

The first issue is to diagnose the etiology of the high blood pressure, which most physicians don't bother with. The first issue is whether or not it is compensatory (in the case of asthma and COPD, for example), in which case it should be fooled with cautiously. The other possibility is idiopathic high-blood prerssure, with no known causitive factor. Your blood pressure readings are a bit high but not dangerously high. You did not record the pulse. Without knowning the pulse the blood pressure reading is meaningless. All that being said approximately 18 percent of individuals with high blood pressure can lower the upper number at rest by ten to fifteen points by taking calcium supplements and adding 1000 mg of D3 to their daily diet. Years ago I assisted in writing the NDA on calcium channel blockers and this was one of the findings in the literature presented to me. Secondly you can obtain slow-release niacin which helps scrub deposits off the pressure sensors in the left and right carotids, as do pomegranite supplements. 1000 mg a day of omega-3 fish oils somtimes drop the pressure by several points also. The problem is not the upper number, but the lower number, which is not what it should be. I am really hesitant to recommend unnecessary tests and physician's visits, but my spidey-sense tells me you might benefit from a cardiologist's consult for an opinion as to the lower number.