The Connection Between Diabetes, Heart Disease, And Stroke

Aaron contacted TheDiabetesCouncil with some questions related to diabetes and heart disease.
Aaron is 57 years old. He has had Type 2 diabetes for 12 years. Aaron visited his doctor related to swelling in his ankles and feet, shortness of breath, and weight gain.
After some tests, the doctor informed him that on top of his Type 2 diabetes, he now has congestive heart failure. He was now wondering why did he have heart disease now and was it because of his diabetes?
In order to help Aaron and other people with diabetes understand the connection between diabetes and heart disease and how to prevent it, we decided to look into the specific link between the two diseases.
What is the connection between diabetes and heart disease?
According to the American Heart Association, there exist a relationship between cardiovascular disease and diabetes: 68% percent of people with diabetes who are aged 65 and older die from heart disease and 16% die of a stroke.
People with diabetes are more likely to die from a heart disease than those without diabetes.
The National Institute of Health states the following for people with diabetes:
They have additional causes of heart disease
They are at higher risk of heart disease than those who do not have diabetes
They may develop heart disease at a younger age
Risk assessment must take into account the major risk factors (cigarette smoking, elevated blood pressure, abnormal serum lipids and lipoproteins, and hyperglycemia) and predisposing risk factors (excess body weight and abdominal obesity, physical inactivity, and family history of CVD). Ident Continue reading

Rate this article

Total 1 ratings

12 Powerfoods to Beat Diabetes

Can controlling your blood sugar and preventing diabetes complications be as simple as eating the right foods? Yes. Certain foods are packed with nutrients that stabilize blood sugar levels, protect your heart, and even save your vision from the damaging effects of diabetes. These 12 foods can give you an extra edge against diabetes and its complications.
1. Apples
In a Finnish study, men who ate the most apples and other foods high in quercetin had 20 percent less diabetes and heart disease deaths. Other good sources of quercetin are onions, tomatoes, leafy green vegetables, and berries.
2. Cinnamon
A study at the Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, found that if you use ½ teaspoon of cinnamon daily, it can make cells more sensitive to insulin. Therefore, the study says, the cells convert blood sugar to energy.
After 40 days of taking various amount of cinnamon extract, diabetics experienced not only lower blood sugar spikes after eating, but major improvements in signs of heart health. And you can sprinkle cinnamon on just about anything.
3. Citrus Fruit
Studies show that people with diabetes tend to have lower levels of vitamin C in their bodies, so antioxidant-packed citrus fruit is a great snack choice. It may seem quicker to get your C from a pill, but since fruit is low in fat, high in fiber, and delivers lots of other healthy nutrients, it's a better choice.
4. Cold-Water Fish
Heart disease strikes people with diabetes twice as often as it does people without the illness, according to the American Diabetes Association. Diets high in omega-3 fat Continue reading

What Causes Diabetes Fatigue?

Fatigue is one of the most common disabling diabetes symptoms. Diabetes fatigue can disrupt and interfere with all aspects of daily living.
What causes diabetes fatigue, and why is it so common?
We’ve written about fatigue before and received tons of great comments on those posts. But this time let’s go deeper and find the whole range of causes and solutions, even if it takes a few weeks. Hopefully, everyone will find something that might help them, because this is a serious problem.
For example, Melanie wrote, “[Fatigue] really takes a toll on my family and things we can do. I just want to have the energy to play with my son and to do things around the house or with friends…I can’t drive more than 30 minutes because my husband is afraid I will fall asleep…and wreck [the car]. (I have dozed while driving before.)”
Maria commented, “Fatigue is a constant and I have had to learn to do only what I can. I don’t push myself anymore as I pay for it dearly. I get tired of explaining why I don’t feel good, don’t want to do anything. Some understand and some don’t.” And Jan wrote, “I sleep from midnight to noon each day. Then I get depressed because I wasted half a day.”
Because of my multiple sclerosis (MS), I live with fatigue sometimes, and I know how limiting it is. I know how difficult it can be to manage. There are more than 15 known causes for fatigue. It helps to figure out what is causing yours, so you can address it. Here are some possibilities.
First, diabetes can directly cause fatigue with high or low blood sugar levels.
• High blood gluc Continue reading

Understanding the Hidden Dangers of Diabetes

Diabetes is a progressive disease that can cause many serious complications. Chronically elevated blood sugar levels can wreak havoc on your body. The good news is that managing diabetes and keeping your blood sugars controlled can help to prevent or or delay potential complications. Whether your diabetes is in good control or not, it is important to know what these complications are so that you can identify them and seek treatment right away.
Some of the more well-known complications are nerve damage (neuropathy), such as peripheral neuropathy which is characterized by numbness, tingling, and pain in the hands and feet, kidney failure (nephropathy) and vision problems (retinopathy). Keeping your blood sugars, weight, blood pressure and getting routine check-ups by specialists can help you to prevent these types of complications. Additionally, there are some other types complications of diabetes that you may not be aware of.
Skin Complications
Having diabetes can make you more susceptible to disease, including diseases of the skin. In fact, skin disorders are sometimes one of the first noticeable signs of diabetes.
You might be more at risk for fungal infections, bacterial infections, and itchy skin. Other disorders of the skin are more exclusive to diabetes. They include blisters, atherosclerosis, digital sclerosis, and eruptive xanthomatosis.
Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
If you have diabetes, your risk of developing heart disease—coronary artery disease (CAD) in particular is twice as that of the rest of the population. High blood pressure and increased risk of s Continue reading

Diabetes doctors: Which specialists treat diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition that affects a person's blood sugar levels and can require various treatments. Understanding which doctors help treat diabetes can simplify the process, making it less stressful.
This article helps people with diabetes to understand the key differences between the various diabetes specialists.
It also covers some common guidelines to follow for visiting each of these experts, to ensure you get the most out of your treatment.
Which doctors help with treating diabetes?
There are a number of diabetes specialists who may be involved in treating someone with this common condition.
As each of these specialists has a slightly different role, there are some key things to be aware of before seeing each one.
General care physicians
A general care physician will often help in the treatment of people with diabetes. Regular check-ups will usually be carried out once every 3 to 4 months.
If there is anything outside their area of expertise, a general care physician will frequently send an individual to an endocrinologist first of all.
Endocrinologists
The most common specialists in the field of diabetes are endocrinologists.
Endocrinologists specialize in the glands of the body, and the hormones that are produced from those glands.
The pancreas is a gland that comes under the spotlight when managing diabetes. It produces insulin that helps regulate blood sugar. In the case of people with diabetes, insulin is either not produced or does not work properly.
People with type 1 diabetes are put under the care of an endocrinologist most of the time. People with type 2 d Continue reading