Written By: Shraddha Rupavate | Updated : February 24, 2015 3:25 PM IST
People with diabetes, undoubtedly, have a greater than average risk of suffering from diabetes because they carry a larger number of risk factors for heart disease. According to statistics, the risk is four times higher in adults with type 2 diabetes compared to those without diabetes. In fact, heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of death in people with type 2 diabetes.
What is the link between diabetes and heart disease
Increased sugar levels can harm blood vessels by inducing free radical damage and inflammation. It also causes hardening of the walls of the blood vessels and accelerates the deposition of cholesterol and other lipids as well. Diabetes also contributes to fluctuating blood pressure levels and damages the nerves, increasing the risk of suffering from a silent heart attack.
'Unfortunately, people are not aware of the actual effect diabetes has on their heart. Coronary heart disease and heart attack are not the only types of heart disease that high blood sugar levels may cause,' says DrPradeep Gadge, consultant diabetologist at Seven Hills Hospital. He highlights different types of heart disease that a diabetic could suffer from.
Ischemic heart disease: It is the same as coronary heart disease, involving narrowing down of the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart.
Diabetic cardiomyopathy: Uncontrolled sugar levels gradually causes narrowing of arteries along with cholesterol deposition. This exerts pressure on the heart muscle as it has to pump blood with a greater force. Over a period of time, the heart muscle loses it optimal function and weakens resulting in cardiomyopathy. This condition in turn affects the circulation of blood throughout the body.
Autonomic cardiac dysfunction: Also known as cardiac autonomic neuropathy, autonomic cardiac dysfunction is the most common complication of type 2 diabetes that largely contributes to death. In this condition, the autonomic nervous system that control heart function gets impaired and leads to catastrophic changes in heart function. One of the main symptoms of ACD in diabetics is catastrophic drop in blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension) that causes dizziness and blackouts.
Arrhythmias: Fluctuating heart beats is more common in people with diabetes who have constantly changing sugar levels. Diabetics are at a risk of experiencing a sudden drop in sugar levels during the nights as well, which might cause arrhythmias through changes in the autonomic nervous system activity that controls the heart. Studies suggest that changes in signals received by the heart are largely responsible for these fluctuations.
Congestive heart failure: Diabetics have an increased risk of dying from heart failure. High blood sugar has an adverse effect on endothelial function and nervous control of the heart. Additionally, excess circulating glucose and fatty acids affect the ultra-structure of the heart muscle. At the molecular level, it affects intracellular signalling and gene expression in the cells lining the blood vessels and muscle cells. Once the heart function is impaired (the heart cannot function properly), a person suffers from heart failure.
Photo source: Getty images
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