Malfunctions of the sodium-potassium pumpcan lead to diseased such as hypertension(high blood pressure).
210119
Magnesium deficiency may lead to a number of pathologies, but a more direct answer would have to do with the sympathetic nervous system.  The more proximal effect of a change in the sodium-potassium pump is a partial depolarization of neurons, because of an inability to maintain the ionic gradient critical for hyperpolarization...If an increased number of sodium ions enter the neuron, then it becomes much more excitable, and will fire more frequently.  This can lead to over activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which will, among other things, cause vasoconstriction (narrowing of the arteries), increased heart rate, etc- It would be a classic stress response, and lead to high blood pressure, which in turn can cause congestive heart failure and hemorrhagic stroke.  If there is a significant malfunction of this enzyme in the central nervous system (i.e. brain and spinal cord), it would cause death.
184867
No, its a bit simpler than that.  It has to do with loss of ATP production through aerobic resperation.  The brain, though only 3-4 pds, uses 20% of the total calories in the body, because of the massive requirement of neurons to maintain the ionic gradient, primarily through Na+/K+ ATPase, an energy-using enzyme.  This ion pump maintains the hyperpolarization required to keep the neuron from depolarizing until a specific signal, such as binding of neurotransmitter, opens the Na+ channels.  There is very little storage of glycogen or creatine in the brain, and thus there has to be a constant supply of blood glucose to maintain this.  A drop in glucose below a spcific concentration causes a dramatic decrease in production of ATP, thus the Na+/K+ ATPase cannot keep up with the ionic leakage of Na+ out of the cell and K+ into the cell.  The relative intraneuronal negativity is lost, and there is uncontrollable depolarization of neurons, as voltage-gated channels open.  Two things then happen- 1) This uncontrolled firing of the neuron is transmitted, via axons, to other neurons (themselves already partially depolarized because of lack of energy for Na+/K+ ATPase) and 2) the neurons that depolarize cannot hyperpolarize again because there isn't sufficient glucose to produce the ATP needed for the ion pumps.\nThe previous was only for hypoglycemia.  If your blood glucose in normal, i.e. you are not diabetic, then your blood glucose levels should *never* drop below a certain level-resting, or fasting, blood glucose is carefully maintained in a non-diabetic person.  A drop in blood glucose sufficent to effect the K+ channels would be significantly below normal, and indicate diabetes.  We do work on both diabetic neuropathy and stroke, and the interactions between them.  There are people here that do research on epileptic seizures, and I can ask about the theories on increased seizures in the morning, if you are interested.
66091
They put stress on your liver and kidneys.  They cause constipation.  They can lead to heart problems.
101388
Hey...if you are talking to a stroke group, addressing salt "toxicity" is not really what you want.  Salt toxicity occurs in people with renal problems or others with very high exposure to salt (usually intravenous).  Another word for such toxicity is called hypernatremia and has nothing to do with stroke.\n\nI believe what you are after is to convince these people about salt's negative impact on their stroke risk.  That's admirable and you should do it by linking salt intake to high blood pressure, which then increases the risk of stroke, rather than toxicity.  I like your idea of visually representing the salt intake and I'd do it this way.  A common recommendation for salt intake in people with high cardiovascular risk factors (like stroke victims) is to consume no more than 2 grams of salt a day.  The less the better really, so just show them, say, what one gram of salt looks like.  We know that an average American consumes about 4-5 grams of salt every day.  So you make a 5 gram pile of salt next to that.  That educates them how much they are overeating, rather than tells what would kill them like you wanted to show with the toxic dose (more practical that way, I think).  Then you can suggest the changes, namely to never use a salt shaker (there is more than enough salt in food already), avoid processed foods, avoid canned foods (including veggies...use frozen instead), avoid junk food etc.  Good take away message for everyone would be...look at the label...if it contains more than 250 mg of sodium / serving -- forget it.  Hope that helps!
616207
Be careful in using this because of the side effect of your kidney etc too much salt isn't good for you
424164
Hypertension can multi-system effects. It is a risk factor for stroke and heart disease. Hypertension can increase the workload that the heart has to pump against, the heart overtime can develop what health care professionals call left ventricular hypertrophy (the left ventricle of the heart becomes overly thickened) which can lead to heart failure. Patients with heart failure will present with shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling of the legs, chest  pain etc due to the heart's inability to pump adequate amounts of oxygenated blood to meet the the body's physiological needs. \n\nHypertension is a modifiable risk factor for heart disease and stroke which can be controlled with lifestyle modification such as diet and exercise, medications and proper care of a trained healthcare professional.  Hope this helps.
594939
Without maintaining good control of your blood sugars, you can suffer from kidney disease, blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy, ulcers or possible amputation as a result from neuropathy to name a few.
188283
YOu might get a little bloated if you don't sweat it out. That stuff has a high sodium content.
435233
alcoholism, cancer, heart disease, and renal failure.\nAs of about 2 yrs. ago on BBC radio show the World.
198163
Yes I agree this is a serious problem because it is a symptom of high blood pressure. you should see your doctor if you also have headaches or blurred vision or dizzy spells,and your legs hurt after a mild exertion.\nIf you think it is not high blood pressure then cut way down on your salt intake and you can buy at the health food store or even some of the drug stores and wal-mart(of course)\ncarry in the pharmacy section the herb dandelion. It is a good thing to take because not only does it help you as a diuretic it also is one of the riches sources of potassium there is. Another is called yarrow, not as effective but pretty good, and this one is simple to get and cheap ,good old celery ,especially the leaf tops are a diuretic of a mild nature.\nYou need to watch it very carefully if you are taking anything that has a diuretic action that you don't lose too much potassium along with the water. This can be a life threatening condition.Your heart has to have the correct amount of potassium, sodium, and calcium in your blood to make the electrical connections to your muscles(your heart is a muscle)to keep them working smoothly. If you have muscle cramps you have lost too much and you need to immediately eat a banana or an orange or juice and get to your doctor as soon as you can.\nMy best advice though is not to fool around and go to the doctor and let him decide the best thing for you.
442144
sounds like blood pressure is messed up!
278590
Malignant hypertension (high blood pressure) can damage blood vessles in the eyes, kidneys, or brain. Left untreated it can be fatal within six months.\n\nBut dont panic yet, one red eye could be caused by a number things such as:\n\n*lack of hydration; sleeping for 7-8 hours rehydrates the eyes\n*infection of the eyelid (blephartis); cleaning well with warm water before sleeping will fix that\n*over-use of eyedrops constricts you blood vessels; use sparingly (and make sure the drops are not old - infection!), or euse artificial tear drops instead\n*hot eye; use a cool clean washcloth to constric the blood vessels WITHOUT the rebound affect that happens with eye drops.\n\nIf it is hypertension then there is a lot of info out there to help you. I can recommend this book due to its naural and gentle approach to lowering your blood pressure ( http://www.coolestebooks.com/products2.html ). Best of luck with it!
171350
Yes, high blood pressure can cause many things from heart attack to stroke to erectile dysfunction, and many other things in between.\n\nWatch your salt intake, there are many foods out there that are very high salt. Exercise will help strengthen your heart and lower your blood pressure, it also helps alleviate stress. Stress affects your BP readings, so try and eliminate stressors in your life or reducing the amount. The are many excellent websites for additional information I've always suggested : www.lifeclinic.com for anyone who suffers from hypertension
460566
it can cause high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, it can be serious if you are unaware of any serious medical condition that you have.  And if you take in combination with caffeine or other stimulates it can cause you to go into atrial fibrillation.  i would recommend you visit your doctor before starting any medications.
481408
Stress and high blood pressure go hand in hand. Also things like: smoking, alcohol, drug use, obesity, lack of excersize, diet ( especially high sodium content), age, family history, and side effects of other medications.
240995
High blood pressure can be caused by kidney problems your doctor should have checked this out, if not get him/her to.  Generally though it is down to lifestyle and or genetics if you are unlucky and it's genetic you may have to take medication.
316569
you could have high blood pressure see your doctor