Heart and blood vessel disease is one of the worst complications of Type 2 diabetes, and finding problems early can allow for treatment and correction before the condition becomes too severe.
Investigators at the University Medical Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands, looked at the possibility of diagnosing heart problems before they become obvious in order to stave off serious health problems.
Their study, published in the journal Diabetologia, May 2012, assessed how well the most important chamber of the heart, the left ventricle, functioned in selected Type 2 diabetics aged 60 and over. Five hundred and eighty-one diabetics who had not previously been diagnosed with heart disease were included in the study...
The first step a doctor takes when evaluating your heart, is to perform a history and physical examination. A history might include:
Stress Test. A stress test can be performed using an EKG together with a treadmill or some other form of standardized exercise to measure your heart's reaction to physical stress.
Cardiac Catheterization. A cardiac catheterization tells the pressures throughout your heart's four chambers. If your left ventricle is having difficulty pumping, its pressure is likely to be increased.
Angiogram. An angiogram, in which a dye is injected into the arteries supplying the hear tmuscle with blood, can be performed to discover whether the heart muscle is adequately supplied with oxygen and nutrients...
Investigators at the University Medical Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands, looked at the possibility of diagnosing heart problems before they become obvious in order to stave off serious health problems.
Their study, published in the journal Diabetologia, May 2012, assessed how well the most important chamber of the heart, the left ventricle, functioned in selected Type 2 diabetics aged 60 and over. Five hundred and eighty-one diabetics who had not previously been diagnosed with heart disease were included in the study...
- 161 Type 2 diabetics were found to have heart disease,
- 133 of them with a reduced amount of blood being pumped from the left ventricle of their heart out into the rest of the body.
The first step a doctor takes when evaluating your heart, is to perform a history and physical examination. A history might include:
- a family history of heart disease,
- your smoking and drinking history,
- diet,
- level of physical activity, and
- stress level.
- listen to your heart and lungs and note your heart's rhythm as well as any unusual sounds,
- check your hands and feet for color,
- look for swelling of your feet, and
- measure your blood pressure.
Stress Test. A stress test can be performed using an EKG together with a treadmill or some other form of standardized exercise to measure your heart's reaction to physical stress.
Cardiac Catheterization. A cardiac catheterization tells the pressures throughout your heart's four chambers. If your left ventricle is having difficulty pumping, its pressure is likely to be increased.
Angiogram. An angiogram, in which a dye is injected into the arteries supplying the hear tmuscle with blood, can be performed to discover whether the heart muscle is adequately supplied with oxygen and nutrients...
- if your left ventricle is failing, then diurectics which remove fluid from your body, can be ordered, or beta blockers can be given to help your heart to pump.
- digitalis can be used to give your heart a regular rhythm.
- a low-fat diet can be prescribed to treat overweight or obesity and prevent the blood vessels from becoming clogged.
- a low salt, or low sodium, diet can be ordered to keep the body from retaining fluids.
Type 2 diabetes is no longer a condition you must just live with. It need not slowly and inevitably get worse. Now is the time to take control of the disease and prevent the development of diabetic complications, including heart disease.
