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Diabetes facts you should know

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Young men between ages 15-25 already show significant cardiovascular disease (CVD), an LDL is a major risk factor that is modifiable by diet and exercise ~ if it is known to be elevated ( USA Today Article ).

There is the same risk of death in people with diabetes without known CAD and patients with CVD and history of MI. ( Source: Indiana Heart Institute )

At least 10.3 million Americans carry a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Another 5.4 million are estimated to have undiagnosed diabetes. ( Source: American Heart Association)

CVDs are listed as the cause of death in approximately 65 percent of people with diabetes.

Diabetes acts as an independent risk factor for several forms of CVD. To make matters worse, when patients with diabetes develop clinical CVD, they sustain a worse prognosis for survival than do CVD patients without diabetes. ( Source: American Heart Association )

Myocardial ischemia due to coronary atherosclerosis commonly occurs without symptoms in patients with diabetes. As a result, multivessel atherosclerosis often is present before ischemic symptoms occur and before treatment is instituted. ( Source: American Heart Association )

Improved glycemic control, better control of hypertension, and prevention of atherosclerois with cholesterol-lowering therapy may prevent of mitigate diabetic cardiomyopathy. ( Source: American Heart Association )

Mortality from stroke is increased almost 3-fold when patients with diabetes are matched to those without diabetes. ( Source: Diabetes Care 1993; 16: 434-444 )

Prospective studies document an increased likelihood of sudden cardiac death and unrecognized myocardial infarction in patients with diabetes. ( Source: American Journal of Medicine 1986 )

Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of premature death in both men and women with diabetes. Thus, optimal care should be to address atherosclerotic risk factors, which in diabetic patients center on elevated triglycerides levels and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (Geoffrey Gates, M.D., Mayo Clinic .)

Low HDL levels and elevated Total Cholesterol: HDL ratios are associated with increased coronary risk. ( Source: Framingham Study JAMA 1986; 256:2835-2838 )

Factors that Influence HDL

• Smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, androgenic steroids, and beta blockers are associated with lower HDL.
• Estrogens, smoking cessation, high saturated fat diet (also elevates LDL), regular aerobic exercise and ethanol ingestion elevated HDL.
• There is epidemiologic evidence that triglycerides are a risk factor for coronary artery disease. ( Source: Framingham Study )

In 1997 the estimated cost associated with diabetes in the United States was $98 billion. That included $44.1 billion in direct costs and an additional $54 billion in indirect costs due to disability and mortality.