Diabetes and Heart Disease

What is the relationship between diabetes and heart disease? It is believed that people with diabetes are at a greater risk of developing heart disease. This is because too much sugar or glucose in the blood causes damage to the blood vessels and this is what raises the threat of heart disease. Blood glucose levels which are high will over time lead to deposits of fatty material on the inside of the walls of blood vessels. This affects the blood flow, increasing hardening and clogging of blood vessels which is known as arteriosclerosis.

If a person has diabetes, the risk of heart problems is twice that of a person who is not diagnosed with diabetes. They are also likely to develop heart problems or can have a stroke at an age that is earlier than people not diagnosed with diabetes. For a middle-age person who has Type-2 diabetes, studies show that the possibility of suffering a heart attack is at the same risk factor of a person without diabetes but has had one previous heart attack.

Some people who have undetected diabetes go untreated. So this raises the risk for heart disease because atherosclerosis is occurring but no one is checking on it. Those with diabetes-related atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries can suffer what is known as “silent ischemia” or a silent heart attack. This means silent as in without typical pain because of the nerve damage caused by neuropathy – another result with uncontrolled diabetes. They may have vague symptoms but not acute so the symptoms can very easily be ignored or thought of as being stomach ache or indigestion. When the autonomic nervous system is not working, signals sent to the brain to regulate blood pressure or heart rate are blocked.

By having an early diagnosis and learning what needs to be monitored are a key to avoiding complications. Experts believe that the course of heart disease can be changed when patients:

• Adopt a good attitude
• Are committed to doing what is necessary to learn about their condition and its treatment
• Make a conscious decision to control the disease instead of allowing the disease to control them

A majority of people who have diabetes may also have more conditions which increase their chances of having heart disease or a stroke.

When blood vessels which are clogged and narrowed, you can have health problems which are serious:

Pains in the chest, called angina

Angina makes a person feel pain in the arms, chest, back and shoulder. If diabetes has damaged the nerves of the heart, then a person may not be able to feel these pains.

Heart Attack

When a heart attack happens it is because a blood vessel in or near your heart has become blocked. This causes your heart muscle to not get enough blood. During a heart attack, you have chest pain along with nausea, extreme weakness, indigestion, and sweating. Or you have no symptoms at all.

Stroke

Strokes occur when the supply of blood to your brain is blocked. This causes damage to the brain. Brain cells then are denied oxygen and die. Strokes can cause problems with vision, speech or cause paralysis or weakness. Strokes also can be caused by blood vessels in the brain bleeding. This is known as an aneurysm, which is a break in the blood vessel which happens because of chronic high blood pressure or a weak spot in a blood vessel wall.

Heart Failure

This is a condition which is chronic when the heart does not properly pump blood. This develops for a number of years so symptoms become worse over time. Those diagnosed with diabetes have at least twice the chance of heart failure as others. One kind of heart failure is known as congestive heart failure when fluids build inside body tissues. If this buildup happens in the lungs it causes breathing difficult. Blocking of blood vessels coupled with levels of blood glucose that are high can damage the heart muscle and irregular heart beats may occur. Damage to the heart muscle is a condition known as cardiomyopathy and can possibly have no symptoms in earlier stages. Later the symptoms develop of weakness, shortness of breath, a severe cough, fatigue and swelling in the feet and legs.

Heart disease and all its complications can very easily become another complication for a diabetic. And it can be causing problems for years before it is even realized. This is another excellent reason for anyone with diabetes to have regular checkups with their family doctor or the medical professional who is managing their diabetes.