While there is a lot of progress in treating diabetes, diabetics also have the risk of developing heart disease. Diabetics have more than twice the heart disease’s risk than others. They often develops of coronary artery disease and strokes at younger age than non-diabetics.
Diabetes has no typical symptons as heart disease
Diabetes affects the nerve endings because of persistently high blood glucose levels. It may cause numbness in the feet. It also make the nerve endings at heart be less reactive with the symptons of low blood flow. Diabetes may present via classic symptons but also is shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigues. When diabetics have not had specific symptons, we need to consider the possibilty of acute coronary syndrome.
Smaller arteries often found in diabetics
People with diabetes have smaller coronary artery than non diabetics. Atherosclerosis progress happens aggressively and circulates entire artery. Coronary arteries of normal adults are 3-4 mm. In diabetics, these sizes are 2.5 mm or smaller. Small blood vesseles are difficult in treating with angioplasty and stenting. Surgery is better choice for diabetics due to the diffuse diease process.
Diabetics are easy to block in many arteries.
Uncontrolled diabetes will make the coronary artery disease more serious because of the lining of blood vessels’ damages. It also build the fatty “plaque” that block the blood flow to heart, brain and other organs.
The diffuse nature of atherosclerosis in diabetics will reduce the function of heart, increase mortality ability.
Diabetics have higher rates of re-narrowing.
When diabetics has a stent implanted, the risk of re-narrowing artery is higher than non diabetics. This makes higher rate of re-stent procedures, increase the rate of complications such as bleeding or kidney problems. The major risk factors of restenosis are: long segments of narrowing, smaller sized blood vessels and multiple stents needed to be treated.
Uncontrolled diabetes in a long time will cause irrepairable damages in some organs. However, the good news is diabetes is curable. By lower blood glucose levels, diabetics can return a normal life. Treating by losing weight (especially waist) , having healthy diet and being regular exercise to control blood pressure and lower cholesterol.
References:
Livestrong: How is diabetes related to heart disease
Livestrong: 5 things you should know about diabetes and heart disesase
