Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related death. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease due to a variety of risk factors, including high blood pressure lipid disorders high LDL bad cholesterol high triglycerides low HDL good cholesterol smoking obesity lack of physical activity Another emerging risk factor is insulin resistance, a core metabolic dysfunction of type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is a condition where the body doesn't respond efficiently to the insulin it makes. According to Gene Therapy Weekly, it affects about 60 million people in the United States. One in four of them will develop type 2 diabetes when their body becomes unable to maintain normal insulin and glucose levels. Following is a list of conditions typically found in people with type 2 diabetes, and an explanation of how they contribute to a patient's risk for developing cardiovascular disease. Obesity Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and has been strongly associated with insulin resistance. Insulin resistance may be a mechanism by which obesity leads to cardiovascular disease. Weight loss has been shown to improve cardiovascular risk, decrease insulin concentration and increase insulin sensitivity. Obesity and insulin resistance also have been shown to be associated with other risk factors, such as high blood pressure. Learn how to manage your weight. Physical Inactivity Physical inactivity is another modifiable major risk factor for insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. Exercising and losing weight have been shown to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, reduce blood pressure and help to reduce the risk for heart attack and stroke. It's likely that any type of physical activity - whether sports, household work, gardening or work-related physical activity - is similarly beneficial. Join our 12 week physical activity program today. Hypertension Hypertension (high blood pressure), has long been recognized as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Studies report a positive association between hypertension and insulin resistance. When a person has both hypertension and diabetes, a common combination, their risk for cardiovascular disease doubles. Learn more. Dyslipidemia Atherogenic dyslipidemia, often called diabetic dyslipidemia in people with diabetes, is a condition associated with insulin resistance. This type of dyslipidemia is characterized by high levels of triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia), high levels of small LDL particles and low levels of HDL. This lipid triad often occurs in patients with premature coronary heart disease. Growing evidence suggests that all of the components of the lipid triad can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis (fatty-buildups in artery walls) and can be considered as a risk factor. Even though most patients with diabetes don't have marked elevations of LDL cholesterol, their levels are high enough to support the development of atherosclerosis. Learn more about diabetes and cholesterol Disease process associated with insulin resistance and diabetes Atherosclerosis is a process that can start early in life. It often progresses when people grow older, which leads to coronary heart disease, a type of cardiovascular disease. It begins with damage in the endothelium (inner layer of the artery) followed by plaque build-up. It may stimulate the artery wall cells to produce other substances that result in further build-up of plaque. These cells and surrounding material significantly thicken the endothelium. When the plaque ruptures, a blood clot forms and blocks the artery, stopping the blood flow. Proven causes of damage to the arterial wall are elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood pressure and tobacco smoke. Cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, physical inactivity, abnormal blood lipid pattern, hypertension and smoking predispose a person to atherosclerosis. Evidence also suggests that insulin resistance itself, independent of other risk factors, could be a major determinant of atherosclerosis.		Links to Other Sites Game Plan For A Healthy Life Game Plan FAQ Healthy Heart Tracker Family History Tree Links to Other Sites American Association of Diabetes Educators American Diabetes Association American Dietetic Association Diabetes Self Management The Heart Of Diabetes Heart Healthy Tracker: Monitoring your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol is fast and easy with this online tool. Just log in and enter your information daily, weekly or monthly, then print out a complete report for your next doctor's visit. read more... The Heart Of DiabetesSM: Understanding Insulin Resistance : is sponsored by Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company.

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