Have Diabetes? Reduce Your Risk of Heart Problems

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 (of 5)	Previous

The Link Between Diabetes and Heart Attack

People who have diabetes are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than they are to lose a limb. Despite that fact, 60 percent of those with diabetes don’t consider cardiovascular disease a serious complication, according to a survey conducted by the American Diabetes Association and the American College of Cardiology. Nor do they feel they’re at risk for high blood pressure or cholesterol problems.

“Inflammation is at the heart of the matter, and this doesn’t happen overnight,” Kaufman says. “Chronically high glucose levels cause glucose to attach to proteins and molecules inside the endothelial cells that line blood vessels, including those in the heart and brain. This process, called glycation, causes inflammation and swelling. Over time, glycation impairs blood flow to vital organs, such as the heart and brain. The problem is compounded if you’re overweight. Chemicals secreted by excess fat cells promote more inflammation."

That’s why overweight people may develop risk factors for cardiovascular disease well before they develop pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.