Diabetes mellitus is a mounting public health concern in Bahrain. Recent official figures claim that diabetes affects approximately 16.2 per cent of the adult population here. This means that roughly one in six adults in Bahrain suffer from diabetes and are at risk of cardiovascular effects of diabetes.
Diabetics tend to develop heart disease at a younger age and are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease than those without diabetes. The longer you have diabetes, the higher the chances of developing heart disease. This is because high blood sugar levels steadily attack the lining of your arteries and cause cholesterol deposition. This process leads to hardening of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle, and eventually to angina and heart attack.
People with diabetes are also at increased risk for heart failure due to weakening of the pumping capacity of the heart. This is a serious medical condition and may cause fluid to retain in the lungs causing difficulty in breathing and in the legs causing swelling of the feet and ankles.
The typical symptoms of a heart attack include, chest discomfort or heaviness triggered by physical activity or stress, pain in one or both arms, pain in the shoulders or jaw or throat, acute shortness of breath and excessive sweating. In a diabetic persons, heart attack can occur without these classic symptoms. Atypical symptoms include nausea/ vomiting, restlessness/ confusion, abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating sensation of the abdomen, heartburn/ indigestion and feeling faint or dizzy.
Presence of other risk factors multiplies your chances of developing heart disease. For example, a person with only diabetes may have a certain likelihood of dying from heart disease; but, in a person with both diabetes and high blood pressure, the risk is doubled or even quadrupled.
Similarly, high levels of LDL cholesterol can lead to clogged blood vessels, raising the risk of developing heart disease. Diabetics can also have abnormal levels of another type of blood fat, triglycerides, which also can raise your risk of heart disease.
Moreover, being overweight or obese not just affects the ability to manage your diabetes well, but also increases the risk for heart disease and high blood pressure. You are at increased risk of heart disease if the waist measures more than 40 inches in a man and 35 inches in a woman. Another factor is smoking which, in any case accelerates the narrowing of the blood vessels, but in diabetes, the risks of heart disease are much higher.
Another concern is family history of heart diseases, and if you have diabetes plus family history, its even more important to take steps to protect yourself.
Reducing your risks:
With proper care and treatment, you can decrease your risk of having a heart attack or developing heart disease.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet to protect your heart with more of fruits and vegetables and less red meat and saturated fats.
Stop smoking. This could be the single most important step towards protecting your heart. If you need help stopping, ask your physician.
If youre obese/overweight, try to reduce to your ideal body weight. Losing just a few kilograms can help control your diabetes better and reduce the chances of dying from heart disease.
Be physically active. 30 to 45 minutes of regular exercise is recommended. This may be walking, running, swimming or any of your favourite sport.
Get regular health checks. Get your HbA1c (averaged blood glucose), blood pressure and blood cholesterol measured regularly and keep these under control as per your physicians advice.
Take your medication as prescribed. Statins are medicines that are used to reduce the cholesterol in your body. These can greatly reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke in people with diabetes. Talk with your doctor to find out if you need to take a statin.
In short, by managing diabetes and associated risk factors along with a healthy lifestyle, the devastating complications of heart disease can be prevented or delayed.
Dr Abdul Azeez is an interventional cardiologist at Bahrain Specialist Hospital
Read the rest here:
Comment: At the heart of diabetes... - Gulf Digital News
- 3 Reasons To Give Thanks For American Healthcare (Plus 3 Wishes And 3 Resolutions) - Forbes - December 2nd, 2019
- The Truth About Meat - Is it really destroying your health? - Your Local Guardian - December 2nd, 2019
- A Look at the Science Behind the CBD Gummies Hype - Baltimore Post-Examiner - December 2nd, 2019
- States With the Highest Rates of Alzheimer's Disease - KMVU Fox 26 Medford - December 2nd, 2019
- Health policies for the silver years - India Today - December 2nd, 2019
- Perth has not endured a heatwave in almost four years, but that could be about to change - ABC News - December 2nd, 2019
- The Big Green Office Design Trend That Will Make Your Workers More Productive - Living Architecture Monitor magazine - December 2nd, 2019
- 'Heart heroes' launch campaign drive to tackle cardiovascular disease - Belfast Telegraph - November 27th, 2019
- Deportation fears linked to high blood pressure in women - KXLY Spokane - November 27th, 2019
- The states with the highest rates of Alzheimer's disease - Ladders - November 27th, 2019
- Sheffield research receives 800k to develop new gene therapy to treat CVD - News-Medical.net - November 27th, 2019
- Drinking These Many Cups Of Coffee Daily May Reduce The Risk Of Heart Problems; Study - NDTV Food - November 27th, 2019
- American Heart Association: Avoiding the Deadly Holiday Heart Attack - PRNewswire - November 27th, 2019
- Heart Attacks May Be Prevented With Help Of This Cooking Oil - International Business Times - November 27th, 2019
- Heart attack: This cooking oil has been proven to prevent the life-threatening condition - Express - November 27th, 2019
- Keep heart disease at bay with legume-rich diet - Times of India - November 27th, 2019
- Heart-Healthy Diet May Improve Brain And Memory Functioning; Study - NDTV Food - November 27th, 2019
- 5 Mediterranean Side Dishes to Give Thanksgiving a Healthy Flair - Healthline - November 27th, 2019
- Vaping and its Associated Diseases - News-Medical.net - November 27th, 2019
- Why You Should Add Rest to Your Workout Routine - TIME - November 27th, 2019
- Best Food for Heart Diseases: THESE food items can help you fight heart ailments - PINKVILLA - November 27th, 2019
- Alzheimer's treatments: What's on the horizon? - Tribune-Review - November 27th, 2019
- Teens too busy with their smartphones: Lack of exercise is making them obese & prone to heart disease - Economic Times - November 27th, 2019
- The only alternative to antibiotics for animals is disease prevention - Health Europa - November 23rd, 2019
- Researchers uncover critical role of PKM2 protein in multiple inflammatory diseases - News-Medical.net - November 23rd, 2019
- 11 Surprising Benefits and Uses of Black Rice - Healthline - November 7th, 2019
- Pro Soccer Players Have a Higher Risk of Developing Alzheimer's, Study Finds - Being Patient - November 7th, 2019
- Political parties must commit to tackling heart and circulatory diseases - British Heart Foundation - November 7th, 2019
- Going vegan in your seventies could ward off disease - Yahoo Sports - November 5th, 2019
- This is the 'biggest mistake' you can do while using air purifiers - Times of India - November 5th, 2019
- Mezzion Pharma announces Top Line Data from FUEL will be presented at the American Heart Association (AHA), Late Breaking Scientific Sessions, in... - November 5th, 2019
- Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is the Healthiest Fat on Earth - EcoWatch - November 5th, 2019
- Obesity in 7th graders increasing. What can parents do? - The Times Herald - November 5th, 2019
- What the toxic air did to Delhites - Down To Earth Magazine - November 5th, 2019
- Sleep And Alzheimer's: Cerebrospinal Fluid Washes Away Toxins : Shots - Health News - NPR - November 5th, 2019
- Hontiveros wants gov't to control prices of medicines - Manila Bulletin - November 5th, 2019
- Global Structural Heart Disease Treatment Devices Market Report to Share Key Aspects of the Industry with the details of Influence Factors - Market... - November 5th, 2019
- Regional health department head asks commissioners to ban smoking on county property - McCook Daily Gazette - November 5th, 2019
- Children in schools and daycares across Canada are exposed to unsafe water - Global News - November 5th, 2019
- Lower Physical Activity Leads To Higher Death Rates, Says Study; Here Are Some Clever Ways To Move More Throughout The Day - Doctor NDTV - November 5th, 2019
- Heart attack leading cause of death - The Star Online - November 2nd, 2019
- Obesity can have severe effects on cats - The Daily World - November 2nd, 2019
- Bulimia Is Associated With Increased Risk of Heart Diseases And Premature Death - International Business Times - November 2nd, 2019
- Every day is 'Diabetes Day' for thousands of Oklahomans - Tulsa World - November 2nd, 2019
- Air pollution contributing to increase in heart problems: Doctors - Hindustan Times - November 2nd, 2019
- Heart attacks leading cause of death in Malaysia - The Independent - November 2nd, 2019
- High blood pressure: Add this oil to your diet to lower your reading - Express - November 2nd, 2019
- A diet that's good for you is also good for the planetand vice versa - Anthropoce - November 2nd, 2019
- Fires and power outages show California isn't as special as we like to believe - Los Angeles Times - November 2nd, 2019
- Scientists find link between heart disease and cancer risk - Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am - November 2nd, 2019
- Talking to Your Teen About Vaping: Here's What Parents Should Know - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic - November 2nd, 2019
- Think You Don't Need Air Purifiers And Anti-Pollution Masks? Research Says Otherwise - News18 - November 2nd, 2019
- Heart Scan Market 2019 Global Industry Analysis By Size, Share, Opportunities, Growth, Emerging Technologies, And Regional Forecast To 2023 -... - November 2nd, 2019
- The Game Changers Film Hits Men Where It Hurts Most - CleanTechnica - November 2nd, 2019
- 7 Health Benefits of Kakadu Plum - Healthline - November 2nd, 2019
- Mom Takes On NYC Marathon for Son With Heart Disease Who Wont Be Able to Run One - Runner's World - October 30th, 2019
- More renewables will mean less asthma and heart disease in the Midwest - Energy News Network - October 30th, 2019
- New Intermountain Study Aims to Determine the Most Effective Method to Identify People at Risk for Heart Disease Before They Ever Develop Problems -... - October 30th, 2019
- Facebook Preventive Health leads with cancer and heart disease - - pharmaphorum - October 30th, 2019
- Firefighters Checking Smoke Alarms and Blood Pressure: HOPE 4 - Medscape - October 30th, 2019
- Ingredients for Heart Health on the Rise Due to Rising Health Consciousness - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine - October 30th, 2019
- These are the most surprising causes of death in all 50 states: report - Fox Business - October 30th, 2019
- Is A Diet That's Healthy For Us Also Better For The Planet? Most Of The Time, Yes - NPR - October 30th, 2019
- New Alzheimer Treatment Could Take The Brakes Off The Bodys Repair Systems Allowing It To Repair Itself - Forbes - October 30th, 2019
- A Major Threat to Our Economy Health Care Spending - Heritage.org - October 30th, 2019
- Facebook creeps into the digital healthcare industry - Digital Information World - October 30th, 2019
- New BHF investment to boost heart and circulatory disease research at University of Birmingham - University of Birmingham - October 30th, 2019
- Appalachians Are Dying At Higher Rates Than Most Americans; Investing In Education Could Change That - West Virginia Public Broadcasting - October 30th, 2019
- Town Hall Meeting Zeroes in on Legislation for Memory Loss Disease - NewsRadio 560 KPQ - KPQ - October 30th, 2019
- Study: Women With Bulimia Nervosa Face Higher Risk of Cardiovascular Disease - The Swaddle - October 30th, 2019
- Night shifts can put you at risk of heart diseases, cancer and more - TheHealthSite - October 30th, 2019
- Gigantic study reveals the healthiest foods are the most sustainable - Inverse - October 30th, 2019
- People with mental disorders have higher risk of early death - Futurity: Research News - October 30th, 2019
- Doctors call on workplaces to ban sale of sugary drinks - The Guardian - October 30th, 2019
- DOH eyes increasing taxes on salty products - ABS-CBN News - October 30th, 2019
- Gap in care found for patients with chronic kidney disease: study - Folio - University of Alberta - October 30th, 2019
- What We Really Know About Eating Red Meat and What We Want to Believe - The Wire - October 30th, 2019
- Surgeries of children with heart defects to commence shortly at NICVD Tando Muhammad Khan - The News International - October 30th, 2019
- The 9 Healthiest Types of Juice - Healthline - October 30th, 2019
- Global Congenital Heart Diseases Market Analysis by Industry Share, Types, Region and Overview 2025 - TheNewsWire24 - October 30th, 2019