Home
You can view the current or previous issues of Diabetes Health online, in their entirety, anytime you want.
Click Here To View
See if you qualify for our free healthcare professional magazines. Click here to start your application for Pre-Diabetes Health, Diabetes Health Pharmacist and Diabetes Health Professional.
Latest Diabetes Articles
Popular Diabetes Articles
Highly Recommended Diabetes Articles
Take Your Diabetes to Heart
Heart disease is the number one killer of all Americans, and it plays a role in the deaths of nearly 80 percent of people who have diabetes.
“Angina pectoris” is a medical term for chest pain that is the result of insufficient oxygencarrying blood supply to the heart muscle (myocardial ischemia).
If the heart is deprived of oxygen for an extended period of time, the heart muscles become severely damaged. This condition is known as a heart attack, or myocardial infarction. The lack of blood to the heart is usually caused by a blockage in one of the coronary arteries, which direct blood to the heart.
Silence Isn’t Always Golden
The major cardiovascular problem in people with diabetes is “silent” ischemia, which means that they don’t have the warning signs of chest pain when their heart is being damaged by lack of blood flow.
If you don’t have chest pain, then you don’t go to the emergency room to seek help, and you will miss that important window of opportunity to get aggressive therapy before your heart muscles are damaged.
A life-saving “clot buster” medication that unclogs the heart arteries is now available, but it must be given within four hours of the start of the blockage. If given in time, this medication and other life-saving therapies can make a huge difference on the longterm overall health of your heart.
Know the Warning Signs of Heart Trouble
The classic symptoms of lack of blood supply to the heart (myocardial ischemia) are:
- Chest pressure
- Shortness of breath
- Palpitations or your heart “beating funny”
- Excessive sweating
- Pain in the left arm or jaw pain
Other symptoms may be vague and nondescript, such as unusual fatigue. This is especially true for women with diabetes.
Six Ways to Avoid Heart Disease
To be proactive about preventing heart disease, you should
- Control your blood pressure
- Keep your cholesterol levels within the recommended limits
- Monitor your blood glucose levels and keep them on target
- Take aspirin, if your doctor gives you the okay (aspirin is not appropriate for everyone)
- Get screened annually for heart disease (earlier than for people without diabetes)
- Live a healthy lifestyle. Diet, exercise and don’t smoke
Categories: Blood Glucose, Diabetes, Diabetes, Heart Care & Heart Disease
You May Also Be Interested In...
Click Here To View Or Post Comments
Aug 1, 2004
-
Diabetes Health
Diabetes Health is the essential resource for people living with diabetes- both newly diagnosed and experienced as well as the professionals who care for them. We provide balanced expert news and information on living healthfully with diabetes. Each issue includes cutting-edge editorial coverage of new products, research, treatment options, and meaningful lifestyle issues.
-
Topics
- Diabetic / Diabetes Health
- Type 1 / 1.5 Diabetes
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Blood Glucose / Sugar
- High/Low Blood Sugar / Fast Acting Glucose
- Insulin- Pumps, Pens & Syringes
- Continuous Glucose Monitors, CGM, Infusion Sets
- Type 2 Medications
- Hyperglycemia
- Hypoglycemia
Email to a Friend
Send a link to this page to your friends and colleagues.