The compelling reason why diabetics should care for their heart

We all know people who have either had some cardiovascular issue or worse, have succumbed to one. A man who was a diabetic trying to manage his blood sugar level, but one test found out that his heart health is compromised too, because of diabetes. 

A February 2019 report in a leading media website quoted a Stanford based cardiologist: “Every South Asian has a very common experience unfortunately, and it’s that we all have someone in our first-degree circle that has either died suddenly or had premature cardiovascular disease.” She believed that despite leading a healthy life, South Asians have a higher risk of developing heart issues because of their ancestry.

According to a senior cardiologist, "The reason why diabetics suffer from heart disease seem to be multifactorial. The high glucose levels in diabetes impair the ability of the blood vessels to expand, leading to abnormal narrowing of the arteries as well as swelling in the vessel wall. Also, there is an increased tendency for plaques (deposits along the vessel wall) to rupture. It can also lead to abnormal changes in the structure and function of platelets (tiny blood cells that help your body form clots to stop bleeding) leading to formation of blood clots and eventually resulting in a heart attack. Further, diabetes increases triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol which aggravates the process of atherosclerosis leading to coronary heart disease."

Now coming to people suffering from diabetes, there is growing evidence that suggests some of the blood sugar lowering drugs increases the chances of heart issues. While there are some medicines that have no effect on heart health, still others have drawbacks and put hearts at risk. In fact many international researchers stress on the importance of carrying out studies to understand the impact of all (old and new) blood sugar medicines on heart health.
Dr. further added, “Diabetes is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. So, a patient with diabetes should always try to maintain his blood sugar in the recommended level. Natural ways to decrease blood sugar is regular aerobic and mild strength exercise, reduce weight, have a healthy diet pattern especially having diet with low glycemic index. Stop smoking completely as smoking associated with increased incidence of diabetes. Persons who smoke have 30 to 40% higher risk of new onset diabetes mellitus. As such, smoking is another major risk factor for diabetes and smoking and diabetes together can be a deadly combination for coronary heart disease and stroke. 

 

Dyslipidemia is common in diabetic patient and is another major risk factor for coronary heart disease. If regular exercise and healthy diet pattern is not able to correct dyslipidemia, the treatment with statins is needed to control it.”
Among other risk factors, diabetes can lead to heart disease, eye disease, kidney disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease and peripheral neuropathy.

All these possibilities need to be screened on a regular basis (at least once a year) in all patients with diabetes. Diabetes patients should be well trained on how to maintain a recommended blood sugar level. Too high or too low blood sugar can cause serious problems.
The silver lining is that an increasing number of people are becoming aware about the risk of diabetes. According to doctors, there has been an 81 per cent increase in the number of people searching for an endocrinologist. The search for diabetologists grew by 51 per cent since last year. Moreover, online consultation witnessed a 95 per cent increase in queries related to diabetes.
For a type 2 diabetic, the first step to managing the disease is imbibing healthier food habits. The next step is to snack right! A lot of us tend to binge on fried or unhealthy snacks without worrying about the repercussions. A simple and gradual way to change this is to revise your snacking routine. 

 

Replace your usual choices with food items like almonds, makhanas or yoghurt that are healthy and filling and will also help in building your overall health. Stressing on the importance of eating right, leading Bollywood Actress said, “We Indians really love our snacks in all forms - sweet or savory. Many of us tend to overindulge in them, and this can have a larger negative impact over a course of time. A good way to change this is to opt for healthier snacking alternatives. In my case, I make it a point to keep food like a handful of roasted or flavoured almonds, fresh fruit or oats stored away in a small box nearby, to ensure I don’t snack on unhealthy food that gives me empty calories.”

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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