Triple Threat, Part 2: Type-2 Diabetes with Cardiovascular Disease and the Increased Possibility of Heart Attack and Stroke
Diabetes has been classified as a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular disease is recognized as being the most frequent cause of death for most Americans who have type-2 diabetes.
For those of us who have already been diagnosed as being diabetic and who have been fighting to control our blood sugar levels without always achieving complete success in doing so, we now have the added possibility of yet another fight, a fight to minimize the effects of cardiovascular disease and to reduce the risks of heart attack and stroke.
In my own case it started at the doctor’s office after completing a stress test and an electro-cardiogram and the doctor prescribing yet another medication and informing me that I have angina, apparently a symptom of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The reason for the tests was that I had reported a shortage of breath and some pain in my upper chest in recent weeks when trying to walk fairly briskly. That’s somewhat ironic considering that my brisk walking was following the usual recommendation to exercise to help combat the higher than normal blood sugar levels of my long-term type-2 diabetes.
It’s a disappointing outcome that I realize many of my fellow diabetics must also be coping with. However, I tell myself that surely there must be something that can be done to delay the inevitable, something to avoid an early incident with dire consequences.
But where to start?
I am now in process of reading up on the topic, looking for hope that the condition can perhaps be reversed. If that is not possible, I assume that, like other health complications, it is best to come to grips early with the problems and prevent them from developing to a more serious phase.
In addition to following my doctor’s advice and taking prescription medications as directed, I also like to know whether there are any non-pharmaceutical products that might benefit my cardiovascular condition. Such products may be vitamins or minerals or plant substances, often called nutraceuticals.
For my first source of information I am considering the advice and approach set out in several books by a Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra, a cardiologist who believes that, in addition to conventional and traditional medical practices, there is also an important role for a nutritional approach and the use of specific readily available supplements that can meet the special needs of heart disease.
CoQ10, L-carnitine, D-ribose
In his book, The Sinatra Solution, published in 2005 by Basic Health Publications Inc., Dr. Sinatra goes into much detail in explaining the oxygen needs of the heart and how the cells of the body convert dietary nutrients to energy, making it relatively easy for the non-professional -person to understand the process. From that, Dr, Sinatra identifies substances that help support and enhance the energy production and maximize the amount of essential oxygen that can be made available for the heart to use. Those substances include CoQ10, L-carnitine, D-ribose, available in health food stores and some pharmacies.
The diabetes “bonus” comment
As a diabetic, often encountering periods of higher than normal blood sugar levels, I was pleased to read in a book focused on CVD, of Dr. Sinatra’s opinion that there are many nutraceuticals that can be taken for the regulation of glucose metabolism. Noted were alpha lipoic acid, gymnema sylvestre, vanadyl sulphate, also available in health food stores and some pharmacies. Also mentioned in the Sinatra book was Cinnamon, with reference to “exciting research”. I have written about cinnamon elsewhere, at Diabetic Food List + Plus, my article can be found here: Cinnamon: Does It Help Combat Diabetes?
It is Dr. Sinatra’s opinion that in battling type-2 diabetes or the insulin resistance of diabetes and syndrome-X, it is essential to follow a low glycemic load carbohydrate diet with 40 % or less calories derived from the low glycemic value carbohydrates. The 40% of carbohydrates is, I believe, lower than the current American Diabetes Association’s recommendations. Check this link for more about about Glycemic Load and Glycemic Index.
In conclusion
There is much more to be learned about the combination of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and I will report back on what I discover, and perhaps my own progress too.
While not forgetting my blood sugar levels, I am also aware that attention must be paid to cholesterol levels and the need to for higher amounts of the good HDL’s and less of the bad LDL’s, topics I have referred to in my last post for which the reference is given below in the list of related posts.
