A Failing Heart
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A Failing Heart:
The Link between Diabetes, Hypertension, and Heart Failure
Quintasha Williams
ANT 101
Arunima Kashyap
December 23, 2009
Compared to the general population, African Americans suffer more from hypertension and diabetes than any other ethnic group in the country. Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses food for energy. Blood pressure is created by the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as it circulates and the force of the arteries as they resist the blood flow. High blood pressure makes the heart work harder to pump blood throughout the body and causes damage to the blood vessels. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is not pumping blood through the body the way that it should. High blood pressure and diabetes are two of the leading causes of heart failure. Anyone battling one or both of these diseases is also at an even greater risk of causing serious damage to their heart if they are not treated.
My attraction to this topic comes from the experiences within my family. I come from a long line of men and women that suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and heart failure. My brother Diante has always been a chunky, thirsty kid that can eat just about anything. He would drink a gallon of milk, two and a half gallons of water, and juice everyday. In the summer of 1994 he lost a total of 60 pounds in 55 days, none of is eating habits changed, and he was never one to exercise. On July 10, 2009 he had taken a shower and was getting dressed for bed when he felt dizzy and passed out on the floor in his room. When he woke up he was being loaded into an ambulance. Once admitted to Cook County Hospital in Chicago, he was treated for high blood pressure, which was brought on my obesity, and type-1 diabetes. The doctor explained that that people with type-1 diabetes can not produce insulin. The glucose can't move into the cells and blood glucose levels can become high. Over...
The Link between Diabetes, Hypertension, and Heart Failure
Quintasha Williams
ANT 101
Arunima Kashyap
December 23, 2009
Compared to the general population, African Americans suffer more from hypertension and diabetes than any other ethnic group in the country. Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses food for energy. Blood pressure is created by the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as it circulates and the force of the arteries as they resist the blood flow. High blood pressure makes the heart work harder to pump blood throughout the body and causes damage to the blood vessels. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is not pumping blood through the body the way that it should. High blood pressure and diabetes are two of the leading causes of heart failure. Anyone battling one or both of these diseases is also at an even greater risk of causing serious damage to their heart if they are not treated.
My attraction to this topic comes from the experiences within my family. I come from a long line of men and women that suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and heart failure. My brother Diante has always been a chunky, thirsty kid that can eat just about anything. He would drink a gallon of milk, two and a half gallons of water, and juice everyday. In the summer of 1994 he lost a total of 60 pounds in 55 days, none of is eating habits changed, and he was never one to exercise. On July 10, 2009 he had taken a shower and was getting dressed for bed when he felt dizzy and passed out on the floor in his room. When he woke up he was being loaded into an ambulance. Once admitted to Cook County Hospital in Chicago, he was treated for high blood pressure, which was brought on my obesity, and type-1 diabetes. The doctor explained that that people with type-1 diabetes can not produce insulin. The glucose can't move into the cells and blood glucose levels can become high. Over...