Diabetes Drives Up Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
11/16/2016
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (November 17, 2016) – In recent years, the American Heart Association has identified diabetes as one of the seven major, and controllable, risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Adults with diabetes are about 50 percent more likely to die of the effects of a heart attack than adults without diabetes, according to a study of 700,000 people over ten years by the University of Leeds.
“We’ve made significant advances in the treatment of heart disease over the past two decades,” said Fariba Gharai, M.D., board-certified thoracic and cardiac surgeon with Bayfront Health Medical Group. “In general, your chances of surviving a heart attack or stroke today are far greater than ever before. But we still need more improvements on educating the general population and increasing research on finding better ways to diagnose and treat heart and vascular diseases.”
Diabetes by itself is now regarded by many clinicians as the strongest risk factor for heart disease. But if you’re diabetic, it’s not enough to just control your blood sugar levels. The blood vessels in patients with diabetes are more susceptible to other well-established risk factors, including smoking, obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure – and more than 90% of patients with diabetes have one or more of these additional risk factors.
The good news is, the guidelines to prevent heart disease and diabetes are very similar.
- Keep your blood glucose in healthy range – fasting blood sugar should be consistently under 100. Possibly more importantly are your A1C levels are a measure of your blood glucose levels over the previous three months.
- Get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, at least five days per week.
- Eat a balanced diet of whole, unprocessed foods – focusing on a variety of high quality fruits and vegetables.
- Keep blood pressure below 130/80 or 140/90 – especially if you have diabetes.
- Keep cholesterol and triglycerides in normal range, with a focus on ‘bad cholesterol’ (LDL). LDL should be no higher than 100 mg/dl in adults with diabetes.
- Keep your weight and BMI in normal range. Body Mass Index should be no higher than 25.
- If you smoke, STOP.
“There are plenty of physical and clinical factors that we can’t control, but type II diabetes just isn’t one of them,” said Gharai. “The best way to prevent or delay death from heart disease is simply to prevent diabetes itself. Get with your doctor, get a plan and stick to it. You may add an additional 20 or even 30 years to your life.”
Bayfront Health Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda have both received advanced certification as a Primary Stroke Center and accreditation as a Chest Pain Center. To receive this level of recognition, a hospital must achieve a higher level of expertise in dealing with patients who arrive with symptoms of a stroke or heart attack. To learn more, visit BayfrontCharlotte.com.
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YOU’RE INVITED
Meet Charlotte County’s newest heart, lung and vascular surgeons Fariba Gharai, M.D., Gonzalo Carrizo, M.D., and Justin Boccardo, M.D., and take a tour of the Southwest Florida Heart Center. Wednesday, December 7, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at 2380 Harbor Blvd., Port Charlotte. No RSVP necessary. For directions or questions, call 941-766-4361, view invite here, or email bevin.gallo@bayfronthealth.com.
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