Diabetic Women Have Higher Heart Risks Than Men Do

According to the Philippine National Statistics Office, in a data report in 2004, Filipino women tend to be at higher risks of heart disease than men do. While it's true that men develop heart disease earlier than women, the later's risk of heart attack jumps dramatically when they reach the age of 55 or when they reach their menopause.

There are some aggravating factors to a woman's heart risk aside from age. I was reading this ad by Abbot in Reader's Digest, March 2009, which has this message which all women must consider. If any two or more of these categories are positive in a woman, she must see her doctor before anything happens to her.

• If she is 55 years old and more
• If she belongs to a family with a member who had a heart attack
• If she smokes or in constant company with a smoker at home or in work place
• If she is overweight
• If her blood pressure is 140/90mm Hg or higher
  
• If she has a total cholesterol over 200 mg/dl
  
• If she has good cholesterol below 40 mg/dl
• If her fasting blood sugar (FBS) is over 6.1 mmol/L or over 120 mg/dl

My recent laboratory test results taken last January 20, 2010,  yielded: 1) an increased  FBS at 8.58 mmol/L, 2)  high (bad) cholesterol at 176.65 mg/dL, 3) low (good) cholesterol at 55.03 mg/dL. 4)  I'm 63 years old. 5)  My father succumbed to heart attack at age 86. These give me 5 items to qualify as having a high risk of heart disease.

I had been suspected recently to have suffered from a mild transient ischematic  attack. It was my first time to experience such. So I underwent an ECG which yielded this result:  non-specific, which was explained to me by my cardiologist this way. My heart was neither very good nor very bad. To see what really was wrong with me for suffering a mild symptom of heart attack, I underwent the 2D Echo test, too. And I was happy with the result. My heart is healthy, but I have to take a quarterly ECG to monitor my heart condition as I am a heart risk, being a diabetic.

Effects of High Cholesterol in the Body

What is blood cholesterol?

Cholesterol, like glucose, is a normal component in the blood, in the brain, and in all other tissues throughout the body. Pure cholesterol consists of white crystals, something like sugar, but dissolves in fat not in water. It is manufactured by the body chiefly in the liver and adrenal glands. about 14 percent of the dry weight of the brain and the spinal chord combined consists of cholesterol.

When people eat more saturated fats than their body needs, the production of cholesterol in the body increases. Excess cholesterol ends up in the blood stream where it accumulates in the walls of the arteries.  Overtime, increased quantity of cholesterol in the body precedes the appearance of fatty deposits in the lining of the arteries. The fatty deposits attract compound of calcium which become plaque that thickens and stiffens the walls of the arteries making them hard and inelastic. This condition also  narrows the passageway for blood which adds to the abnormal circulation of the blood in  people with diabetes or cause hypertension that can lead to heart attack.

Cholesterol is undoubtedly one of the key substances in the metabolism of the body. However, its exact role is not well understood. What is clearer is that, when blood cholesterol levels are permanently raised, the individual becomes susceptible to a number of diseases such as heart disease. It therefore makes sense for me who is at risk to  consider reducing my daily  intake of fats that produce cholesterol in the body to prevent heart attack.

Effects of  High Blood Glucose in the Body

What is blood glucose?

Glucose is another normal component in the blood, hence it is also known as blood sugar. Glucose is found in carbohydrates in the form of simple sugar and complex carbohydrates. When these are taken into the body, they are burned down and assimilated into the cells in  the body and used as primary  source of energy.

Glucose is stored in the liver in the form of glycogen. When the blood needs sugar, the glycogen is readily converted back into glucose. In diabetics , the body is unable to use glucose properly resulting to an excessive build up  of sugar in the blood. This excess sugar is passed off in the urine in a condition called glycosuria.

Excessive sugar in the blood has been accused of contributing to many diseases and health disorders like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.  In serious cases of hypoglycemia or a dangerous drop in blood sugar, the diabetic may become comatose and if not treated in time, may result to death.

A good monitoring of the blood glucose level, accompanied by a good diet plan to reduce sugar intake, prevents other repercussions of heart attack due to mismanaged diabetes. This is my reminder to myself to prevent possible occurrence of symptoms of a more serious form of heart trouble.

I'm a Diabetic ! ! !

This is my first blog post in this niche I choose for my life's journal as an insulin-dependent diabetic. "of Lancets and Strips" will serve as a repository of my experiences in managing my diabetes. Lancets and strips are actually the blood test tools I use in my glucometer, a device I use that helps me monitor my blood sugar level. This blog will forever remain as my inspiration as it connects me to friends in the internet who may be are suffering from diabetes, or with family members, friends, and associates in their work place with this health condition. Mutual sharing of information makes this blog useful and meaningful.

My 5 months of blogging experience have opened a chance for me to browse, read, and understand the volume of invaluable information about diabetes. I've come across a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) that there are about 180 million people worldwide with diabetes mellitus. In the year 2030, accordingly, this number may yet double up , especially mentioned are developing countries, like in my country, the Philippines. The identified factors for the rise of the cases are: the growing population, ageing, unhealthy diet, obesity, and sedentary life.

How my condition started is beyond my understanding. I only knew recently that I may have inherited it from my father who had it in his old age before he died. This condition began to manifest in me and in my other siblings as we grow in age. I want to believe now in one of my doctors who said we have a "family pre-disposition" to this disease- diabetes.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high level of blood glucose or sugar. The body needs only enough blood glucose as its primary source of energy, provided for by the food we eat. The normal and healthy level of glucose that the body needs is from 80 to 120 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). More or less of this, results to diabetes.

What is diabetes mellitus?

Diabetes mellitus is a condition of the body resulting from lack of insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas. Insulin is needed by the body to be able to utilize carbohydrates from foods we eat and to assimilate glucose, amino acids , and fatty acids for energy. When the body does not have enough insulin or if the insulin is ineffective, blood glucose or sugar level is increased. The disease can not be cured, but it can be controlled. It can also be tamed to normalcy if detected early. Good management, next to proper treatment, are highly necessary for the diabetic to enjoy longer and happier life.

I have type II diabetes mellitus. I discovered it by accident. It was during one of the annual health checkups required of public servants for re-entry into service. My urine test for blood sugar yielded a positive plus 4 (++++) which meant I have a high level sugar. Since it didn't disturb me whatsoever, I shrugged it off as just ordinary health impairment I could reverse through dieting. It was after few years later when I began to feel the symptoms that I subjected myself to a series of tests that ended in my first oral treatment.

Had I known about the so-called pre-diabetes test and its importance, I would have prevented or even reversed my glucose level to normal. It's now too late.

What is this pre-diabetes test ?

There are three types of this test which I read from My Daily Guide in Managing My Diabetes (Outsmart Diabetes, Abbot Nutrition), namely:

1. Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG)

It is a condition in which fasting blood sugar (FBS) level is elevated from 100 to 125 mg/dl after an overnight fasting. However, this condition is not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

2. Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT)

It is a condition in which the blood glucose, after a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test, is elevated from 140 to 199 mg/dl. This is still not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

3. Both IFG and IGT

Pre-diabetes conditions can be prevented, delayed or may even return blood glucose level to normal. A strict and proper program of weight loss, coupled with increased physical activity may be of help. However, its progression to diabetes condition is inevitable, without help.

What are the types of diabetes mellitus ?

I gleaned the following descriptions of the two types of diabetes mellitus from several sources in which I put this common characters:

1. Type I diabetes is a condition that runs in the family. Its precise cause is not known. It begins in childhood and adolescence. It can also occur at any age. It is a condition where the pancreas fails to produce insulin. This type accounts for 1 of 10 of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

2. Type II diabetes results from the body's inability to respond properly to the insulin produced by the pancreas. It usually begins with resistance to insulin. Given this condition, the pancreas loses its ability to produce insulin. Its onset occurs frequently during adulthood It is also noted to increase in adolescence. This is much more common type. It accounts 9 out of 10 of all diabetes cases worldwide.

Furthermore, according to the aforesaid guide, this type is associated with:

- old age
- obesity
- family history of diabetes
- impaired glucose metabolism
- physical inactivity
- race/ethnicity

At present time, I have diabetes type II condition. I have been on a routine checkup and management for almost 20 years now. I started my insulin shots 3 years ago when my blood glucose rose to 497 mg/dl. At present time, my blood sugar stays on the average somewhere between 107 mg/dl t0 140 mgdl. Diabetes is not a hindrance, it is a gift, because it reminds you to take care of yourself with professional medical help. More next time !

Resources: Philippines Health Guide, 1997 Edition, Reader's Digest Medical Encyclopedia , 1971 Edition, Outsmart Diabetes (My Daily Guide in masnaging My Diabetes), Abbot nutrition.