Diabetes Destroy Arteries

Posted on by Jesse Santiano, M.D.

Nitric Oxide is Essential for Normal Blood Flow

Blood is ejected in spurts in every heartbeat. The vascular system requires flexible arteries that can expand to accommodate the high pressure and volume of blood. This dilatation is made possible by the rubber-like properties of the smooth muscle cells that are found in the middle layer of the arteries.

The pulsatile flow of the blood stimulates the enzyme nitric oxide synthase to produce nitric oxide (NO).  NO performs multiple critical functions to maintain the integrity of the arteries and blood flow. Since the nitric oxide affects all the arteries of the body, NO is vital for all organs to function correctly.  Part of the job of the NO is to maintain the smoothness of the endothelium (inner lining of the blood vessels) and prevent blood cells from sticking to each other.

Abnormal Blood Flow

Diabetes, smoking, and dyslipidemia (high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and low HDL), causes injury to the endothelium. The damage leads to the roughness of the endothelium that makes the cells “trip” and tumbles, making the cells stick to each other and the endothelium. This leads to inflammation, causing decreased production of NO, leading to a smaller diameter of the arteries hampering the blood supply of the different organs.
Imagine a line of beauty pageant contestants walking down in a straight line.  One of them stumbles and falls, causing the others behind her to trip over her leading to a pig-pile. Then they start fighting each other. It is not beautiful visual imagery. It is not any better when it happens inside your arteries either. We want those blood cell beauties to sashay down the ramp effortlessly.

Nitric Oxide Functions

  • Nitric oxide increases the size of the blood vessels (vasodilatory)
  • Prevents inflammation (anti-inflammatory)
  • Inhibits the platelets from sticking to each other and to the endothelium that can start a clot (antiplatelet)
  • Averts unwanted overgrowth of cells around the blood vessels that can make the opening smaller (anti-proliferative)
  • Blocks the absorption of  unnecessary substances into the blood vessel wall (permeability-decreasing)
  • Neutralizes excessive free radicals (anti-oxidant)

Nitric Oxide Gets Lower with Aging

As we get older, the bodies ability to make nitric oxide gets lower. The lower nitric oxide leads to hypertension, atherosclerosis, decreased ability to fight infections, cancer, impaired memory, and erectile dysfunction.

Regain the Nitric Oxide Advantage

1. Exercise increases the pulsatile flow of blood thru the arteries that stimulates the endothelium to make more nitric oxide.

2. Prevent injury to the endothelial cells that make your nitric oxide by reducing carbohydrate intake, avoiding trans fats, and quit smoking.

3. Help the bacteria in your mouth to produce more NO by avoiding mouthwash.

4. Eat green leafy vegetables, garlic, dark chocolate (unsweetened),  nuts and seeds, watermelon, red wine, and beetroot.

To know about the dangerous combination of nitric oxide drugs, click here.

© 2019 DrJesseSantiano.com All Rights Reserved

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© 2019 DrJesseSantiano.com All Rights Reserved

1 Reply to “Diabetes Destroy Arteries”

  1. Hello dr jesse,
    I am currently practicing dentistry in US and prior to doing any work on our patients, , we ask the patient to rinse one minute with mouthwash. A patient got upset saying that using mouthwash can cause cancer. I explained to her that it is like swabbing the skin with alcohol before a shot or blood drawn, mouthwash “disinfect” the mouth. But i do not recommend using mouthwash as part of their daily oral hygiene. Some people use mouthwash because of bad breath, but its like using perfume to mask body odor.
    Thank you for your blog, it motivates me and help me understand how the perfect machine works.

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