If you have diabetes, then it’s essential that you control your sugar levels. But there is another health concern that diabetics should aim to manage as well, that being cholesterol.
New guidelines were released during the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, where doctors suggested that diabetics should be prescribed statins based on their age and other risk factors.
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There is a connection between middle-aged diabetics and heart disease, but many people aren’t aware of this.
Chair of the guideline writing committee, Dr. Scott Grundy, explained, “It’s not new but it’s important. If you have diabetes, you have to work to get your cholesterol under control.”
The body is interconnected, so only managing diabetes puts your heart at a disadvantage. With cholesterol being such a significant influencer on heart disease, it’s crucial you manage this as well.
Risk factors for heart disease include smoking, hypertension, high blood sugar, family history, chronic kidney disease, and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome encompasses conditions like high blood pressure, obesity, high blood sugar, and abnormal cholesterol levels.
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Kim Ketter added, “Folks don’t understand how it can affect the body overall. t’s like a garden hose, and you have gunk and stuff inside of it accumulated over the years. You are going to have to turn up the pressure to get the same water through that hose. If all that mess is clogging the arteries, you have to turn up the pressure, and that means your heart is pumping harder.”
The new guidelines are recommended as a means to better protect the hearts of diabetics.
Also read:
- 10 best essential oils for high cholesterol reduction
- The miracle grass for diabetes and cholesterol
- How much cholesterol should you have a day?
- The dangers of high cholesterol you didn’t know about
Mohan Garikiparithi got his degree in medicine from Osmania University (University of Health Sciences). He practiced clinical medicine for over a decade before he shifted his focus to the field of health communications. During his active practice he served as the head of the Dept. of Microbiology in a diagnostic centre in India. On a three-year communications program in Germany, Mohan developed a keen interest in German Medicine (Homoeopathy), and other alternative systems of medicine. He now advocates treating different medical conditions without the use of traditional drugs. An ardent squash player, Mohan believes in the importance of fitness and wellness.
