Diabetes Cause Heart Disease

A predicted explosion in the number of diabetes cases 

 deadly increase in heart disease.

 experts warned today. Type 2 diabetes is regarded by some as second only to cigarette smoking as a cause of cardiovascular disease but three-quarters of people are ignorant of the potentially- lethal links.

Experts will today call for an earlier and more aggressive approach to diagnosing and treating patients with Type 2 diabetes to prevent future complications.

Their calls follow the findings of a study published today which states Type 2 diabetes is reaching epidemic levels while the current approaches to managing it are not doing enough to reduce the burden of complications, such as cardiovascular disease.

Roger Hall, a consultant cardiologist, said in the report.

 'Diabetes is one of the most powerful factors causing coronary heart disease and, as a result, premature death.

'The risk of people with diabetes suffering serious cardiac problems, such as a heart attack, is many times more than a person of the same age and sex who does not have diabetes.'

And David Haslam, chair of the National Obesity Forum, said, 'The obesity timebomb has already exploded and we are now awaiting the one for diabetes, which will follow shortly if we continue as we are today.

'Primary care can help to reduce the future burden of Type 2 diabetes by diagnosing the disease as soon as possible before complications set in, particularly those related to cardiovascular disease.'

It is thought that 80,000 people have Type 2 diabetes in Wales, but this number could be far higher, as many may be living with the disease without having yet been diagnosed.

It can take up to 12 years from the onset of the disease to diagnosis, which has resulted in one in three sufferers having at least one complication, figures from Diabetes