Diabetes and Heart Health

Diabetes makes people more likely to have congestive heart failure by pumping up their blood sugar. High blood sugar can cause fatty materials to clog blood vessels. As the blood backs up like cars on the highway, the heart is forced to pump even harder to keep the traffic moving. That leads to the heart getting worn out and quitting.
Many people with diabetes are also overweight. That’s another contributor to heart disease. When the bloodstream has extra fat, also known as cholesterol and triglycerides, even more cars are added to the congestion of the blood system.  People with diabetes must hold their long-term blood sugar below 7 percent and carefully monitor cholesterol to keep their blood freely flowing. The danger of congestive heart failure is significant. About 65 percent of diabetes deaths are related to the heart.

Heart Failure Side Effects of Diabetes Medication
Certain medications also make people with diabetes more likely to have congestive heart failure. The type 2 diabetes drug Avandia was essentially banned for heart-related side effects. Its sister drug, Actos, now carries the black-box warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its congestive heart failure risk and other Life Threatening Side Effects. The black-box warning is applied to drugs that can cause serious injury or death.
Actos is still for sale in the United States, even though it makes patients 30 percent more likely to have congestive heart failure. Recent studies have found it also increases the risk of bladder cancer. This has lead to several thousand Actos Lawsuits.  It’s still unclear exactly how these medications contribute to blood vessel congestion. The drugs have been linked to about an 18 percent increase in LDL cholesterol. LDL is cholesterol that’s bad for the body. Most people should try to keep their LDL levels below 100 mg/dL.
People with diabetes need to work hard at heart health because they’re at higher risk. They should monitor blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol and medication side effects. Speaking to a doctor will help patients understand their cardiovascular health. A physician can also provide health improvement strategies.

William Richards researches and writes about prescription drugs and medical devices for Drugwatch.com.