Diabetics: Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Disease and Death?

Diabetes and various forms of heart disease appear very often on applications for disability. Heart disease is often seen in the form of coronary artery disease, valve defects, and congestive heart failure. While diabetes is often referenced in connection with diabetic neuropathy and high blood pressure. One thing that disability examiners definitely notice early on is that diabetes and cardiovascular impairments tend to go hand in hand.

If you have diabetes you may be thinking, ‘At least I don’t have heart disease and am not at a huge risk for heart attacks.’ That may be a positive thought, but a new study has shown that it might not necessarily be a correct thought.

Researchers at the Gentofte Hospital in Hellerup, Denmark, studied over 3 million people of all ages over a period of five years. They found that those with diabetes -- type 1 and 2 who are on medication to reduce blood sugar -- were just as likely to have a heart attack as people who had already experienced one heart attack.

Surprisingly, the study’s numbers showed that diabetics were 2.4 times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those with a clean bill of health. People who have already suffered from one heart attack are about 2.5 times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease. The risk appears to be the same.

Even more disturbing is that diabetics who suffer from a heart attack are twice as likely to die from it, as opposed to those without diabetes. So not only are diabetics at a high risk for heart attacks, they are at a high risk for death due to them.

The study researchers hope that this will raise a red flag for doctors who treat diabetics with insulin and other medications, prompting them to include cardiovascular protection for their patients.




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