Increasing risk of heart disease in diabetes

February 19,Kathmandu.According to the European Society of Cardiology, having diabetes increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death from cardiovascular disease by 28%.

Diabetes causes high blood sugar levels, which can weaken the blood vessels and nerves that control heart functioning. If the blood sugar level is high for a long time, a condition can develop, which is called atherosclerosis in the language of science.

In this, the arteries harden due to the accumulation of plaque and blood flow gets obstructed. This causes blood pressure to increase. The longer this condition persists, the more damage is caused to the blood vessels. Due to this, heart health deteriorates and a heart attack or stroke can occur.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), heart-related problems are the biggest cause of death worldwide. Of the 1.79 crore deaths due to heart problems in the year 2019, 85% were due to heart attack and stroke. Diabetes and blood pressure are the major reasons behind this.

One fourth of the world's diabetic people are in Nepal

According to the World Health Organization, 83 crore people in the world had diabetes in the year 2022. The surprising thing is that more than a quarter of the world's diabetic people were in India alone. In the year 2022, 21.1 crore people in India were diabetic. This means that the number of diabetic people in India is very high.

What is the connection between diabetes and heart health?

Diabetes is such a lifestyle disease that damages almost every organ of the body. Due to this, the sugar level in the blood increases. The heart, brain and kidneys need blood the most in the body. Therefore, these organs suffer the most damage when one has diabetes.

High blood sugar level increases blood pressure

Dr.  says that if the blood sugar level is high for a long time, then the blood vessels start weakening. Understand it like this that a kind of waste starts accumulating in the vessels, which is called plaque in the language of medicine. Due to this, the blood vessels become tight and the flow of blood is affected. Therefore, blood pressure increases and cholesterol level also increases.

According to Dr., high blood sugar levels can damage the nerves responsible for the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. This can disturb the rhythm of the heart beat and blood pressure. 

Diabetes can cause many heart problems

Diabetic people have an increased risk of many heart-related problems. The most common of these is coronary artery disease. In this, the arteries that supply blood to the heart start shrinking. If these arteries shrink too much, the blood flow can get blocked, which can cause a heart attack.

Coronary artery disease: This is the most common cardiovascular disease. It occurs due to narrowing of the arteries carrying blood to the heart.

Heart failure: In this condition the heart muscles become weak. Therefore the heart is unable to pump sufficient amount of blood as per the body's requirement. In this the functioning of the heart gradually deteriorates.

Cardiomyopathy: In this heart disease, the heart muscles become weak or stiff, due to which the heart is unable to pump blood properly. This can weaken the functioning of the heart.

Heart attack: If the coronary arteries become completely blocked, a heart attack can occur. This condition can prove fatal in most cases.

Stroke: This is a condition in which blood flow to the brain stops. This usually happens due to blood clotting.

How can you reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease if you have diabetes?

Dr.  says that if someone is diabetic then it is certain that he will have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than others. However, we can take care of our heart by adopting some tips.