People with diabetes suffer from more than just blood- sugar issues. There are many serious complications, including heart attack that they face as well. In fact, cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of diabetics. Recently, researchers have discovered a reason for this connection.
In Type I diabetes, your body doesn’t produce insulin, which is necessary for your body to use sugar. As you might already know, sugar is the basic fuel for your body’s cells. Insulin transports the sugar from the blood into the cells. The disruption of this important function can lead to many complications, such as heart, kidney, and eye diseases, and even nerve damage.
A study out of the Washington University School of Medicine looked at 11 non-diabetics and 11 Type I diabetics. By comparing heart function, the researchers made an interesting finding — the heart muscle of a diabetic uses fat as its primary energy source. This is in comparison to that of a non-diabetic, which normally uses sugar. This confirms the results of similar studies on animals.
The reason this is a problem is because the heart needs a greater amount of oxygen to metabolize fats than it does to process sugar. Meaning that, in a diabetic, this crucial organ is more sensitive to the drops in oxygen levels that occur with coronary artery blockage. What it comes down to is less oxygen to the heart, which equals a greater risk of a cardiovascular event occurring.
Moreover, when a Type I diabetic’s heart burns its fat energy source, it creates reactive oxygen molecules (i.e. free radicals). These molecules hinder fuel consumption and the fat ends up building up in the heart’s muscle cells. The person is then more vulnerable to inflammation, cell death, and general heart dysfunction.
So, people with Type I diabetes are more prone to severe heart attacks, heart failure, and other cardiovascular diseases than people without the disease. This link is important to understand because it could help you prevent life-threatening complications that are due to the disease. And, yes, there are things that you can do to reduce your own risk for heart problems.
If you have Type I diabetes, you must remember that blood-glucose control, while absolutely necessary, is not your only concern. Obviously, this study tells us that we also need to keep an eye on the fats in our blood (e.g. cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.). A diabetic should work closely with his/her doctor to make healthy diet changes, start an exercise regime, and look at the available medication options.
You should also consider different herbal remedies that have promise in helping lower your cholesterol, such as guggul and curcumin (just remember to check with your physician first). If you work at it, you can boost your heart’s ability to use sugar for energy rather than fat, thus reducing your risk for heart disease.
Note that a similar study is in the works for Type II diabetes.
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Tags: exercise, glucose
