Civilized vs uncivilized blood pressure : Learning from the Kuna Indians

Welcome to Kuna island. The Kuna Indians are really unique people. living off Panama, right in the isthmus connecting North and south America, The Kunas reside in the San Blas archipelago comprising about 360 islands, of which about 60 are populated by them. They have lived on these islands for centuries, but their exact origin is not completely understood.   These innocent tribes have taught an important lesson in human blood pressure regulation, vascular biology, and salt sensitivity. We know, that high blood pressure, is a maximally researched entity in medical science in terms of etiology, vascular effects, and its control. Still, we don’t know, what are the limits of normal BP for human beings. The debate will not end until we are clear about, whether human beings evolved from monkeys or emerged as de-nova organisms. Recent studies have revealed a remarkably low level of mitochondrial gene diversity in monkeys, suggesting that there has been remarkably little genetic admixture. (Ref 2) What we know from 3000-years-old human history is, blood pressure is directly related to the physical work done by us and the diet we eat. While salt is considered pro hypertension, physical activity is a much more important determinant in bringing it down. Normal BP in a pre-civilized world was low compared to a civilized population. They also enjoyed better vascular health. Where is the evidence? It comes from the life cycle of Kuna Indians. Here is a very unique paper pu...
Source: Dr.S.Venkatesan MD - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Uncategorized kuna Indians and hypertension Source Type: blogs