EXCESS WEIGHT, OBESITY AND
HYPERTENSION (HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE)

Excess weight and obesity can create hypertension, or high blood pressure, a key risk factor in developing cardiovascular disease, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. If left untreated, hypertension can also result in a wide variety of other life-threatening conditions, such as kidney damage and congestive heart failure. Hypertension is a very common condition which can remain asymptomatic (undiagnosed) until relatively late in its course. Several studies have proven that insulin resistance and resulting hyperinsulinemia (elevated insulin in the blood) lead to increases in blood pressure. This is because elevated levels of insulin can cause atherosclerosis, a build-up of fatty deposits which directly affects the diameter of the inside of the blood vessel. Your blood pressure is determined by cardiac output – how much blood the heart is pumping per beat, total peripheral resistance and how easily the blood is pumped to the farthest points of the body. Blood pressure itself is affected by various factors, such as genetics, lifestyle and environment. The higher the blood pressure, the greater the chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Think of your vascular system as a complex, interlocking web of hoses, similar to the garden variety. The smaller the size of the hose, the more pressure on all of the other hoses in the body as less blood flows through per minute. The heart must pump harder to get blood to distant sites through the decreased diameter of vessels. This increases the pressure on the entire cardiovascular system, causing elevated blood pressure. Atherosclerosis occurs when deposits of fatty substances like cholesterol, cellular waste products and fibrous tissue build up in the inner lining of an artery. This build-up is commonly called plaque and most scientists agree it begins with damage to the innermost layer of the artery wall. Causes of this damage come from elevated levels of "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, high blood pressure, tobacco smoke and Type 2 Diabetes. Chronic elevations of glucose and insulin levels are classic symptoms of insulin resistance, which is an underlying cause of excess weight and obesity. One of the primary risk factors for atherosclerosis is an elevated level of triglycerides. The biggest risk factor, in turn, for increasing the production of triglycerides is the rate of your insulin secretion. As insulin comes in contact with the interior wall of the arteries, it is caustic to the tissue, causing the initial injury that produces plaque. As plaque builds up on the interior wall of the arteries, the circumference of the arteries decreases, thus increasing the pressure of the blood rushing through the entire vascular system. This complex interaction becomes a serious health concern because, as high blood pressure rises, there is corresponding damage to your cardiovascular system. Hypertension makes your heart work harder than normal and, as a result, both the heart and arteries are more prone to injury. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure, eye damage and congestive heart failure. If you have hypertension, suffer from excess weight or obesity, smoke or have high cholesterol levels or type 2 diabetes, your risk of heart attack or stroke goes up dramatically. Untreated high blood pressure forces your heart to work harder to pump enough blood and oxygen to your body's organs and tissues. It also damages arteries and arterioles, the very small arteries that connect larger arteries to tiny capillaries. Arterial damage is a serious health issue because hardened or narrowed arteries may not be able to supply enough blood to your body's organs, thus reducing their ability to function properly. In addition, plaque may dislodge from the sides of the artery wall, forming a blockage in another part of your body and causing a heart attack or stroke. Excess weight and obesity may also linked to the onset of inflammation. For more information, click on Inflammation, insulin resistance and Weight Issues. There are pharmaceuticals that can help lower blood pressure to nearer normal levels but there is currently no single drug that will completely reverse excess weight and obesity or its underlying cause, insulin resistance. Instead, you must rely on a multi-faceted approach to improving these conditions. What's needed to address the issues presented by these disorders is a complete system, including nutraceuticals (vitamins, herbs and minerals that are disease-specific), a realistic exercise program combined with nutritional guidance and a support network, including free consultation with our Consulting and Advisory teams, that will help you change unhealthy lifestyle choices. Click here to read about a scientific breakthrough called the Insulite System for Excess Weight and Obesity, which can help reduce hypertension and the subsequent risk of a heart attack or stroke. A key formulation of the system is known as Meta-OmegaX, which features omega-3 fatty acids that can lower the high levels of triglycerides and LDL "bad" cholesterol associated with hypertension. Excess weight and obesity are often linked to diabetes. Click here to learn about our new, ground-breaking Insulite Diabetes Advanced Management System. You may be interested in some related information on Hypertension and the Insulite System for Excess Weight and Obesity. Managing Hypertension/High Blood Pressure You may be interested in some of our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Insulite Excess Weight and Obesity System. Is there anything in the Insulite System that will increase blood pressure? Are there any stimulants in the Insulite products? Click here to read about Excess Weight, Obesity and Heart Health