Professor Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra
DOHA: Coinciding with World Heart Day, Hamad General Hospital’s Department of Internal Medicine is raising awareness about the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
“Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease. Almost two-thirds of patients with diabetes die from CVD,” says Professor Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, Chair of the department.
Diabetes can cause hardening of arteries, known as atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes.
According to Professor Abou-Samra, it is important that patients with diabetes, and those who are pre-diabetic, are aware of factors that can put them at higher risk of heart disease.
“Other risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, are particularly detrimental in patients with diabetes. However, data from the diabetes prevention programme shows that the best way to prevent conversion from pre-diabetes to diabetes is a healthy lifestyle,” he said.
A person with pre-diabetes has a blood sugar level higher than normal, but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. They are at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems, including heart disease and stroke. According to the World Heart Federation, the majority of CVD is caused by risk factors that can be treated or modified. The Federation says that 80 percent of premature deaths from heart disease can be avoided if the main risk factors are controlled, a finding Professor Abou-Samra supports.
“In addition to effective treatment of diabetes, smoking cessation, management of blood pressure and treatment of lipid disorders (cholesterol) are all essential for the prevention of heart diseases in patients with diabetes,” says Professor Abou-Samra.
The theme of this year’s World Heart Day, “take the road to a healthy heart,” is an equally important message for people with diabetes as it emphasizes the need to not only consider healthy lifestyle choices but to engage in exercise.
“Physical fitness and healthy dietary habits are very important for the prevention of heart diseases. Exercising an average of 30 minutes a day, if tolerated, will decrease your risk for heart disease and will make your diabetes better controlled,” says Professor Abou-Samra.
Professor Abou-Samra also recommends a diet that leads to the reduction of body weight, as decreasing dietary intake of saturated fats, trans-fats and salt has been proven to decrease the risk of CVD for diabetes patients.
He says patients who have diabetes but have not been diagnosed are at the greatest risk, underscoring the need for awareness and early detection. Factors he says remain key to the successful long-term management and control of diabetes.
“It is important to be screened for diabetes as it can be present without symptoms. Those who have a family history or are overweight should be screened through a fasting blood test. Additionally, individuals who have diabetes should not only focus on blood sugar treatment but also on management of all other risk factors.
The Peninsula
