Diabetes and cardiovascular disease - a dangerous combination

Diabetes is one of this nation's most prevalent, debilitating, deadly and costly diseases if ignored or left untreated.

At the recent Diabetes 2007 Conference, organized by Tadreeb in Abu Dhabi, ICLDC put forth evidence supporting lifestyle and medical interventions that can help prevent the development of heart disease in people with diabetes.

Dr. Maha Taysir Barakat, Consultant Endocrinologist, Medical & Research Director at
Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC), Abu Dhabi said "It is important that we at ICLDC educate healthcare professionals and the public about the links between diabetes and cardiovascular disease, provide a comprehensive review of the evidence and then act accordingly based on that evidence for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes."

Speaking on 'The Ascot Trial - Managing Risk-Factor Intervention in High Risk Patients' Professor Peter Sever said "There is evidence from studies such as the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial (ASCOT), that type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular disease are closely linked."

Diabetes is now considered a 'coronary heart disease risk-equivalent' meaning that it contributes as much to the coronary event risk profile as does a previous history of a coronary event. The ASCOT study shows that patients with diabetes fall into the high risk category for cardiovascular disease 15 years earlier than those without diabetes. It is therefore vital to control blood pressure in patients with diabetes.

Restricting the progression of renal disease has been suggested as being important in preventing cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes, although it has not been shown to prevent cardiovascular events.

Traditional lifestyle changes for people with diabetes have focused on weight loss. There is a need for major interventions that more significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) for those living with diabetes.

These changes are part of an ongoing educational effort initiated by ICLDC, the Emirates Foundation and the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi. Diabetes. I Wonder..., the first activity of many for Diabetes-Knowledge-Action is raising awareness about diabetes, its causes and implications, one of which is CVD which affects two out of three people with diabetes.

The Diabetes-Knowledge-Action initiative is disseminating knowledge about diabetes, its risk factors and how it can be prevented. In addition, the campaign, by encouraging nationwide testing, aims to to diagnose new cases so they can effectively. The UAE ranks alarmingly high, in per capita prevalance of diabetes, second only to the small Western Pacific island of Nauru (source: International Diabetes Federation).

"Diabetes is a deadly disease, but the truth is that most people who have it will actually die from heart disease: the most common and too often fatal complication of diabetes " said Professor Peter Sever of Imperial College London while speaking at Diabetes 2007 conference.

He continued,

"The practice of primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes aims to significantly reduce the risk of cardiac events in diabetes patients, but to do that our front line, primary healthcare providers need to be furnished with the most up to date evidence based intelligence."

Meanwhile, ICLDC continues to host complementary activities at the Centre, including Specialist Forums targeted at the medical sector, and Lifestyle Clinics for those with and without diabetes who have embraced the news that a healthy lifestyle can prevent and manage diabetes.