created: 28.09.2004
last modified: 28.09.2004
That's why diabetes is a matter of heart in the unpleasant sense of the word. Studies show that every fourth patient who is being treated because of narrowed cardiac vessels is diabetic.
Risk of a cardiovascular disease is especially high
Statistically that means a risk of coronary heart diseases, which is 4 – 6 times higher for diabetics. The reason for the frequent heart and circulation diseases in connection with diabetes is the accumulation of cardiovascular risk factors of diabetes mellitus.
Concomitant phenomena like high blood pressure, overweight and a too much increased blood fat level support the risk of a heart disease. Constantly increased as well as highly fluctuating blood glucose levels especially quickly lead to a narrowing and a massive damage of the coronary heart vessels.
Heart diseases are particularly treacherous for diabetics
The fact that a diabetic heart disease is a special kind of coronary illness makes the connection between diabetes and a heart disease especially dangerous. The normally quite easily recognisable symptoms can easily be overlooked by diabetics. Since the pain sensitivity is often reduced for diabetics, the typical symptoms only show in a weakened form. It adds to it that diabetics suffer from disturbance of the heart rhythm a lot more often and also often from the unstable type, so they are often overlooked as a symptom of a cardiovascular disease. That's not only why diabetics suffer heart attacks a lot more often because of so – called silent attacks, but also the reason why the survival rate is lesser as well.
Already in the initial stage of diabetes, narrowed vessels can occur, because a certain thrombosis resistance is developing. The blood becomes "thicker" because the blood's tendency to curdle is increased. The platelets of a diabetic join together to a network that is deposited on the vascular walls a lot more easily than a non-diabetic's platelets. Doctors speak of a pre – thrombotic state.
Mortality is also higher
The mortality of diabetics after a heart attack shows why the early recognition of the risk of diabetic cardio vascular diseases can save lives. If the attack happens it is already too late.
According to experts the mortality within 12 hours after a heart attack is 12 % higher for diabetics. Altogether only one third of the diabetic heart attack patients survive. For non – diabetics it's at least 46 %.
Invasive treatment bears more risk for diabetics
The most common invasive treatment, for example with a balloon catheter or a stent, was connected with a higher risk for diabetics so far. The long – term success prospects weren't that good either. The new treatment with the recently developed CYPHER – stent is supposed to enable new treatment possibilities that bear less risk and offer better success prospects.
All in all that means: The earlier it is possible to diagnose diabetes, the earlier a specific treatment, also in regard of a cardiovascular disease, can begin.
