 |
NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
|
|
|
NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
|
Diabetes |
Common Vascular Complications of Diabetes04/19/2004 |
Is atherosclerosis a common complication of diabeted
The quick answer is yes. Atherosclerosis refers to hardening of the arteries which predisposes to a number of diseases, notably heart attacks (myocardial infarctions), strokes (cerebrovascular accidents or CVA`s) and obstruction of the arteries to the feet or legs, resulting in the need sometimes for surgical removal of the affected limb (amputation). Each of these can be associated with warning symptoms that the respective organ or tissue is not getting enough blood flow. In the case of the heart, we think of pain in the chest, neck or arm and/or shortness of breath, a condition referred to as angina pectoris or simply angina. In the case of the brain, there may be temporary loss of function from a temporary blockage, either paralysis or loss of sensation or damage to speech or related functions. This is referred to as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). In the legs, there may be pain in the legs related to walking or other exercise. This is referred to as intermittent claudication. Each of these happen in both people with and without diabetes but they occur more commonly in those with diabetes. The likelihood of these events is affected by other factors, referred to as risk factors. The most commonly thought of risk factors include age, duration of diabetes, cigarette smoking, blood cholesterol and other lipids and blood pressure. So not every person with diabetes is at very high risk of these events, but all else being equal, the diabetes puts them at greater risk than the general population without diabetes. There is a major study in progress called the ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) Trial to test whether different levels of control of blood sugar along with whether better blood pressure and lipid control than are currently proven, make a difference in preventing heart attacks and strokes. ACCORD is going on at 70 sites in the United States and Canada and will involve 10,000 participants with diabetes. Information about ACCORD is available at www.accordtrial.org. In the Ohio-Michigan-Kentucky-Indiana region, the phone for the Ohio-Michigan Network is 1(800) 320-2833. In the Cincinnati area, you can contact Belinda Carter at 513-861-3100, extension 4431. ACCORD is an opportunity for potential participants in the age range 40-80 years to contribute to the development of guidelines for diabetes care for future generations, and to obtain highly structured diabetes care. The study provides medicines for blood sugar control and for either blood pressure or blood fats and supplies for blood sugar testing at no cost to the participant from now until completion of the study scheduled for 2009.
|
Robert M. Cohen, MD Associate Professor Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Internal Medicine College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
|
|
|
Please note: only your personal physician or other health professional you consult can best advise you on matters of your health based on your medical history, your family medical history, your medication history, and how information from any of these databases may apply to you. Neither University of Cincinnati (NetWellness) nor any party involved in creating, producing or delivering this web site shall be liable for any damages arising out of access to or use of this web site, or any errors or omissions in the content thereof. (More) 
|