Time and time again, we are told that without a healthy diet filled with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, we are setting ourselves up for problems. Pile on top of that a high-fat diet, and you are looking at even more problems. However, if you eat a well-balanced diet and include exercise into your routine, you can prevent many of the illnesses that result from poor diet, lack of exercise, and obesity.
One of these diseases is Type 2 diabetes. Yet another is heart disease. Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular problems. There has been some research conducted as of late that links heart disease to inflammation as a potential cause of the disease.
Over the last few years, doctors and researchers have found that inflammation in the arteries is the number one cause of heart disease. While we all know that high levels of cholesterol are unhealthy, it appears that a protein known as “C-reactive protein” (CRP) could be just as unhealthy, if not placing a person at an even higher risk of heart disease.
The higher the levels of CRP the higher the chances that the plaque buildup in the arteries will break loose due to inflammation and cause a clot, which can lead then to heart attack or stroke. That being said, the best way to lower your CRP levels is to eat a well-balanced diet, which is low in trans and saturated fats, and exercise.
However, scientists have found that two relatively new drugs that are used to treat diabetes might be beneficial in the treatment of inflammation as well, thereby reducing the chance of heart disease developing.
A study published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology took a look at 192 patients over six months, to determine whether “Actos” and “Amaryl” — two drugs used in the treatment of diabetes — would reduce inflammation in the arteries.
While they both performed the required task of controlling blood sugar, Actos, which is in a new class of diabetes drugs, improved cholesterol and CRP levels, which often go hand in hand with inflammation and the thickness of the carotid artery wall. The results were not seen with the Amaryl, which is not in the same class as Actos.
Because insulin is present in the lining of blood vessels, researchers are not surprised that Actos could help in the reduction of heart disease risk and inflammation. While older diabetes drugs lowered blood sugar levels, the newer ones — called TZDs — reduced insulin resistance, thereby improving blood sugar levels.
That being said, further studies need to be conducted in order to determine whether or not these findings are present in larger studies.
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Tags: exercise, heart disease, obesity
