People with Type 2 diabetes have a 4-5 times increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Recent evidence also suggests that in addition to high glucose (sugar) levels (known as ‘hyperglycaemia’), low glucose levels (‘hypoglycaemia’), which can occur as a result of aggressive treatment may also increase the risk of cardiovascular events (such as heart attack and stroke).
Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death in people with diabetes. In fact, diabetes is widely regarded as a major coronary risk factor that can lead to heart attacks if not managed effectively.
High glucose levels (hyperglyacemia) in the blood can cause damage directly to the lining of the blood vessels, resulting in a cascade of structural changes involving inflammation and plaque formation, which can narrow the arteries. Ultimately this can cause blockages of blood vessels, which in turn results in heart attacks and strokes.
It has recently emerged that over-aggressive treatment in people with Type 2 diabetes may also lead to cardiovascular events as a result of hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose levels), which leads to vital organs being deprived of essential fuel (glucose). “An ideal treatment for diabetes would be to reduce hyperglycaemia without causing hypoglycaemia. Conventional oral drug therapies for Type 2 diabetes can often cause hypoglycaemia, especially in older people and those with kidney problems.
“The DPP4 inhibitors and GLP-1 agonists are relatively new classes of drugs that can help us achieve good glucose control (especially after-meal glucose spikes) without causing hypoglycaemia,” says Dr. Norman Chan, Specialist in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism. Dr. Chan added, “New devices such as the Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) over 7-day period can also be very useful to assess glucose variability, which enables physicians to fine-tune drug therapies, a balanced diet and regular exercise are essential to achieve good health and to prevent complications in Type 2 diabetes.”
The information has been provided by Dr. Norman N. Chan.
英國利物浦大學內外全科醫學士 英國倫敦皇家內科醫學院院士 英國倫敦皇家內科醫學院榮授院 英國倫敦大學醫學院畢業 香港內科醫學院院士 香港醫學專科學院院士
Speak Your Mind