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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : October 29, 2017 1:06 AM IST
Did you know people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those without the disease? This is because, during a heart attack, a section of the heart muscle does not receive blood. The lack of blood flow can cause the heart tissues to die and scar. There is no doubt that every heart attack is life-threatening and requires immediate attention. In most cases, heart attack symptoms include sharp chest pain and breathlessness, but in some instances, there are no visible symptoms. A heart attack in which a person does not feel chest pain or other symptoms is called as a silent heart attack. A silent heart attack can happen to anyone, but people with diabetes are more predisposed to experience silent heart attacks. Around 25-30% of heart attacks in people with diabetes are silent, putting people with diabetes at a significant risk. Dr J.C. Mohan, Director of Cardiology, Fortis Hospital, Delhi explains more about heart attack in diabetics.
1. The cause of a heart attack, silent or otherwise, is almost always atherosclerosis (the progressive narrowing of the heart's arteries). Uncontrolled diabetes leads to significant cardiac health risk, because of changes in the blood vessels produced by hyperglycemia (high blood sugars), changes in blood coagulation properties, and changes in the plaques that form in the blood vessels of people with diabetes. Here are 6 reasons diabetics are more prone to heart disease.
2. People with diabetes usually don t feel chest pain because of nerve damage (autonomic neuropathy) caused by poorly controlled diabetes. If you have a history of silent heart attack, then you are at a high risk of another, more serious heart attack. And this is the reason, why you should consult with your doctor regularly and closely monitor your condition.
3. In a person with diabetes, the only signs of a heart attack sometimes may be a rising blood sugar level and weakness that does not go away. If a person feels he/she may be having a heart attack, it is necessary to seek medical attention immediately. A silent heart attack can be diagnosed with a stress test or echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart), ECG, medical history and a blood test of cardiac enzymes. Read about the warning signs that indicate you might be at a risk of a heart attack.
4. While there is no way of predicting silent heart attack, but statistically, the greater the number of risk factors like poorly controlled diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle the higher the chances of a silent heart attack. Routine heart screening, annual exams for cholesterol, blood pressure and electrocardiogram tests along with regular blood glucose monitoring can reduce the risk of silent heart attack.
5. The key to recovering from a heart attack is the speed at which treatment is received. Those who get the required timely medical attention have an excellent prognosis; with modern treatment survival from a heart attack goes around 90%. In the case of a silent heart attack, the patient is not aware of the attack and valuable time is wasted leading to permanent heart damage. Twice as many people die from silent heart attacks as compared to those that experience chest pain. Also, read about 5 types of heart disease common in type 2 diabetics.
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