2 minute read
Dr Ben Anderson
Diabetes and heart disease
DIABETES IS AN ONGOING HEALTH CONDITION WHERE THE BODY’S USUAL WAYS OF CONTROLLING BLOOD SUGAR, OR BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS, DON’T WORK PROPERLY AND BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS ARE HIGHER THAN NORMAL.
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When the body breaks down food, blood sugar level rises. The cells in the body absorb this sugar into the bloodstream using a hormone called insulin and then use it for energy.
When the body doesn’t make enough insulin and/or doesn’t use it very well, the result will be higher than normal blood sugar levels.
Having blood sugar levels that are consistently above the normal range can lead to serious complications, such as vision loss, kidney disease, foot and leg problems, and an increased risk of stroke and heart disease.
Around 30 percent of people with Type2 diabetes also have Cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the biggest cause of death among people with diabetes, usually involving heart attack or stroke. Over time, high blood sugar levels from diabetes can damage the blood vessels in the heart, making them more likely to develop fatty deposits.
You’re also more likely to have other health problems that can cause heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or being overweight, all of which make the heart work harder. Many people with diabetes also have high blood pressure, another key risk factor for heart disease.
To manage or reduce your chances of developing heart disease if you’re living with diabetes, it’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and manage your diabetes effectively; that means increasing exercise, replacing processed and packaged foods with a balanced diet, losing weight, giving up smoking and taking medication to control your diabetes.
A heart healthy diet should include foods low in unhealthy fats, salt and added sugar, and rich in wholegrains, fibre, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats found in seafood, nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and their oils for cooking.
Unhealthy fats tend to be solid at room temperature such as saturated fat (found in butter, coconut oil, palm oil, processed foods, such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, and takeaway foods, lard, ghee, fat on meat, skin on chicken and other poultry, deli-style meats, such as salami, ham, and bacon, cream and ice cream), and trans fat found in foods such as frozen foods, fried foods and fast-food. It’s important to have regular Heart Health Check (HHC). As diabetes is an important risk factor for heart disease, your doctor will check your blood sugar levels. They’ll also work with you to lower your risk of diabetes through lifestyle changes such as exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, following a heart healthy diet and possibly taking medications.
DR BEN ANDERSON
MBBS BMedSci FRACS
Director Gold Coast Cardiothoracic Unit - John Flynn Private Hospital
VMO Gold Coast Private, Pindara and The Tweed Hospital
