You may have seen a recent increase in drug companies advertising how oral antidiabetic medications can reduce the risk of heart disease in someone with type 2 diabetes. Why is this important? Because there is a well-established correlation between diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Findings from the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial and the Framingham Heart Study brought attention to the extent to which diabetes can double and even triple the risk of cardiovascular disease. Other notable findings from the INTERHEART study have shown that diabetes can increase one’s risk of myocardial infarction1.
Even more alarming is The American Heart Association statistic that 68% of diabetics age 65 or older die from heart disease and 16% from stroke2, further highlighting the real threat diabetes can have on not only coronary mortality but also one’s life.
Considering this significant association, it comes as no surprise as to why the National Cholesterol Education Program essentially named diabetes a coronary heart disease equivalent3.
There are two main reasons as to why your chance of heart disease and stroke increases with diabetes:
- The pathophysiological mechanisms involved.
- The common risk factors for cardiovascular disease that usually accompany those with diabetes.
High blood glucose levels seen in diabetics can damage blood vessels and nerves of the heart over an extended period of time.
The longer an individual has diabetes, the higher the chances of that individual developing heart disease4. Moreover, diabetics are more likely to have health conditions such as hypertension, high triglycerides, high LDL cholesterol, obesity, cigarette smoking and sedentary lifestyles.
The risk factors for cardiovascular disease combined with diabetes can more than double your risk of stroke and coronary heart disease.
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Luckily, there are effective medical interventions to treat diabetes. It is important for you to see your interventional cardiologist if you think you are at risk of diabetes. A simple blood screening test can help doctors diagnose pre-diabetes or diabetes and get the patient on a treatment plan to avoid high blood sugar levels. In addition to diabetes management, you also have to look out for issues like peripheral vascular disease, peripheral artery disease and diabetic foot ulcers.
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The sooner the screening and treatment, the better the health outcome, because the longer you have diabetes, the higher the chances of developing heart disease.
In addition to treating diabetes and monitoring HbA1c levels, it is equally important to treat risk factors like hypertension or high cholesterol.
It is also critical to address modifiable risk factors like smoking and lack of exercise. Changing sedentary lifestyle habits and becoming more active, and/or quitting smoking will prevent heart disease from worsening, thus mitigating damage to blood vessels and keeping your heart healthy.
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DR. ANUJ SHAH MD
Dr. Anuj R Shah is a Cardiovascular Disease Specialist and the Founder and director of Apex Heart and Vascular Care. He holds seven board certifications in Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Shah graduated from one of the top universities in India, Gujarat University, in 2003 with six gold medals and honors. He completed a residency and fellowship at University of Connecticut and published more than 50 articles and abstracts in peer-reviewed journals.
