Living With Type 1 Diabetes: Complications of the Heart

Living with Type 1 diabetes not only affects blood glucose levels, it can affect many organs in your body. Not properly taking care and having control of your diabetes, which includes keeping blood glucose levels in normal age (80-120), results in damage to heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes, kidneys, and many other organs in the body.1 Over the next few weeks we will look at how diabetes affects these different organs.

Heart: Diabetes increases your risk of having cardiovascular disease. Every 3 out of 4 type 1 diabetics die from heart attacks or other cardiovascular complications.2 This is compared to 1 out of 4 people in the general population. Myra Lipes, a researcher at the Joslin Diabetes Center, conducted research on mice that confirm a connection between type 1 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.2 Angina and heart attacks are the most common cardiovascular diseases found in type 1 diabetics. Type 1 diabetes can cause an out-of-control immune system which will result in these poor heart conditions.2 Even if the individual is taking good care of themselves and has control of their diabetes, they are still at a higher risk for these complications. Working out and watching what you eat will be very beneficial for type 1 diabetics. Staying active helps with cardiovascular diseases and diet plays a major role.

Researchers are looking for ways to help prevent this “attack” to the heart for type 1 diabetics. Until then, it is extremely important for type 1 diabetics to have as much control of the disease as they can. They also need to make sure they are going to doctor appointments and having the proper tests done at these appointments to make sure the heart is still healthy and no complications are found. Next time we will talk about type 1 diabetes and the body’s nerves.

References:

1Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2014, August 02). Type 1 diabetes. Retrieved May 30, 2016, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-1-diabetes/basics/complications/con-20019573

2Curry, A. (2013, August). What’s Behind Heart Attacks in Type 1 Diabetes? Retrieved May 30, 2016, from http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2013/aug/what-rsquo-s-behind-heart-attacks-in-type-1-diabetes.html