The Dangerous Duo: How Diabetes and Heart Disease Are Linked
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Diabetes are the two greatest pandemics of our time. CVD has been the leading cause of death for the past 100 years, while the prevalence of type 2 Diabetes has quadrupled since the 1980s. Alarmingly, it is expected to increase by 70% among the US adult population over the next 40 years. Even more concerning is the predicted 700% rise in diabetes among individuals under 20 during the same period.
How are these two connected? Even since the 1960s we have known there is a connection with these disease states. According to one study, 73% of patients with myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) have dysregulated sugar levels, and 50% have diabetes. If you have diabetes, you are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than someone with healthy insulin and blood sugar levels. For every 1% increase inHbA1c (your average blood sugar over three months), there is an 11-16% increase in the likelihood of CVD. High insulin levels, which happens months to years before any sign of high blood sugar is detected, are also closely linked to cardiovascular disease.
Although the link between insulin and blood lipids is strong, the relationship between insulin and high blood pressure is also significant. About 50% of people with high blood pressure are also insulin resistant, likely due to the reduction in nitric oxide that occurs with elevated insulin levels. This relationship between insulin and blood pressure may be a two-way street, as future research comes out we will be able to know more certainly how the relationship works. What is certain though, is that these two conditions are intimately connected.
To reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the best recommendation I could give is to cut back on eating refined carbohydrates and sugar. High blood glucose and insulin levels lead to macrophage (immune cell) inflammation, reduced nitric oxide levels (a compound that relaxes the blood vessels), and increased cell adhesion to the blood vessel walls, contributing to atherosclerosis. Despite cholesterol often being blamed for cardiovascular disease, it is sugar-not cholesterol- that should be the primary concern.
In the vast majority of people, dietary cholesterol has no significant impact on blood cholesterol ratios. In 2015the USDA took out an upper limit for daily cholesterol intake due to lack of quality research supporting concerns of cholesterol intake.
Diabetes and cardiovascular disease are deeply intertwined, as all systems in the body are interconnected. Understanding and addressing the role of sugar in these conditions is crucial for preventing both their onset and progression.
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