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Artery- derived alert signaling potential diabetes risk

Understanding vascular compliance is crucial, as it reflects the flexibility or rigidity of your arteries. Its importance lies in maintaining healthy blood pressure and preventing stroke and heart attack. recently, researchers suggest that it could be the most significant predictor of...

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Understanding arterial flexibility, or vascular compliance, is crucial for health. It shows how...
Understanding arterial flexibility, or vascular compliance, is crucial for health. It shows how flexible or stiff your arteries are, which directly impacts blood pressure and lessens the risk of stroke and heart attack. However, recent studies suggest that vascular compliance might also be an early sign of developing issues with blood sugar levels...

Artery- derived alert signaling potential diabetes risk

Get the Scoop on Artery Health and Your Diabetes Risk

Talking about your arteries might seem a bit tedious, but hold on, there's a crucial health topic to explore – and it could change your life! Vascular compliance, or how flexible your arteries are, is a key player in maintaining healthy blood pressure and steering clear of serious conditions like heart attack, stroke, and even Alzheimer's disease. Let's dive into recent research unraveling vascular compliance's surprising role in another common health issue: diabetes.

Arterial Stiffness: A Diabetes Predictor on the Rise

Previous studies have shown that high blood pressure (or hypertension) is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Likewise, arterial stiffness, a common finding in people with hypertension, is also associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Researchers wanted to determine which factor is more effective in predicting future type 2 diabetes risk, so they turned to the Kailuan study in China – a vast data collection from over 11,000 participants. The study measured artery wall stiffness, calculated by using a brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity.

They separated the participants into four groups:

  1. Those with normal blood pressure and arteries with normal stiffness (ideal vascular function)
  2. Those with normal blood pressure but stiffer arteries
  3. Those with high blood pressure and normal artery stiffness
  4. Those with high blood pressure and stiffer arteries

The Big Reveal: High Blood Pressure + Stiffer Arteries = Diabetes Risk

Compared to the group with ideal vascular function, those in the other three groups had significantly higher risks of developing type 2 diabetes, particularly those with both hypertension and elevated arterial stiffness.

Protect Your Arteries with Vitamin K2

Good news: some simple lifestyle changes can help support your arteries and reduce your risk of diabetes. One way is by increasing your vitamin K2 intake. This nutrient has been shown in multiple studies to be beneficial for the health of the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in the walls of your arteries[7].

Studies indicate that vitamin K2:

  1. Reduces death (or apoptosis) of VSMC
  2. Slows changes in the VSMC phenotype
  3. May reduce arterial stiffness[7]
  4. Lowers the incidence of diabetes and coronary artery disease[8]
  5. Reduces death from cardiovascular causes[8]

Vitamin K2 is available from animal sources like beef, bison, goose, dairy products, chicken, and organ meats like liver. However, a specific form of vitamin K2 known as MK7 – found in natto, a Japanese dish made of fermented soybeans – has been shown in research to be especially beneficial for increasing arterial elasticity.

In Conclusion...

If you thought-provoking, surprising, and inspiring news about arterial compliance wasn't enough, remember that early detection and management of both blood pressure and arterial stiffness could play a significant role in reducing your risk for developing type 2 diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases.

The American Heart Association recommends several healthy lifestyle choices to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by keeping your heart healthy. Their "Life's Essential 8" checklist is an excellent resource to follow. In the meantime, boosting your vitamin K2 intake could be a simple, proactive step to support your arterial health.

Artery stiffness may predict Type 2 diabetes risk better than BP and standard risk factors – American Heart AssociationVitamin K2-a neglected player in cardiovascular health: a narrative review – openheartVitamin K2 - Vital for Health and Wellbeing – Kappa Bioscience

Editor's note: If you're curious about how chelation therapy may help manage cardiovascular health, why not take a peek at the in-depth article Chelation: Natural Miracle for Protecting Your Heart and Enhancing Your Health!

  1. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, specifically increasing vitamin K2 intake, may contribute to the health of the vascular smooth muscle cells in the arteries, potentially reducing the risk of arterial stiffness, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
  2. Recent research suggests that arterial stiffness, more than high blood pressure, could be an effective predictor of future type 2 diabetes risk, particularly when combined with hypertension.
  3. Investing in understanding your arterial health, especially vascular compliance, could significantly aid in reducing your risk for developing type 2 diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases.
  4. Following the American Heart Association's recommendations for a healthy lifestyle, such as the "Life's Essential 8" checklist, and boosting vitamin K2 intake, may help manage blood pressure and arterial stiffness, thus reducing the risk of developing diabetes and other chronic diseases.

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