Diabetes Management Is Not Just About Blood Sugar

Newswise — In diabetics, heart attacks and strokes are four times more common, occur earlier in life, and are more likely to be deadly than in people without diabetes. Greater attention to cholesterol and blood pressure, along with continued attention to blood sugar, could help people with diabetes live longer and healthier lives. However, surveys show that few people, including few doctors, know that diabetes and heart disease go hand in hand. The September issue of the Harvard Heart Letter sheds light on this important health connection.

People with diabetes are encouraged to measure their blood sugar and follow diets that limit the release of sugar into the bloodstream. These efforts slow the progression of diabetes and help prevent diabetes-related damage but do not do much to forestall heart disease, stroke, or peripheral artery disease. Most people with diabetes—up to 80%—die of heart disease and other circulation problems. In diabetic patients, high blood pressure contributes to kidney, eye, and nerve damage.

Because of these findings, organizations such as the American Heart Association are working to publicize the relationship between diabetes and heart disease. Recently, the American College of Physicians proposed aggressive new guidelines that spotlight the cardiovascular consequences of diabetes. These guidelines recommend statins to manage cholesterol and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The Harvard Heart Letter provides heart smart steps for diabetic patients:
• Exercise, watch your weight, and eat a heart-healthy diet that’s low in saturated and trans fats, has modest amounts of unsaturated fats, and is rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
• Take a cholesterol-lowering stain, especially if you have heart disease or peripheral artery disease, have had a heart attack or stroke, are over age 55, smoke, or have high blood pressure or an enlarged heart.
• Get your blood pressure under 130/80. If you need drug therapy to control your blood pressure, diuretics and ACE inhibitors are good choices.
• Take aspirin.

The Harvard Heart Letter is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of the Harvard Medical School. You can subscribe to Harvard Heart Letter for $28 per year at http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart or by calling 1-877-649-9457 toll-free.