Blood pressure is a biggie—it's also a major factor in the risk of kidney and eye problems.
"Blood pressure control is extremely important, because high blood pressure can lead to the same kinds of complications as high blood sugar," says William Bornstein, MD, an endocrinologist at the Emory Clinic in Atlanta. "And so in people with diabetes it's that much more important to control the blood pressure. Same with high cholesterol."
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More about diabetes complications
But it was blood pressure control that reduced heart problems (a "macrovascular," or large blood-vessel complication) in addition to microvascular problems.
Macrovascular diabetes complications
Macrovascular diabetes complications are diseases and conditions of the large blood vessels caused by diabetes. These complications can occur in blood vessels in any part of the body.
Factors that contribute to macrovascular complications are high blood sugar, high insulin levels, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, and abnormalities in blood clotting.
Doctors do not understand what causes some people to develop diabetes complications while others do not. Some people may have tissue and unidentified factors that are resistant to damage. Lifestyle and inherited factors may also affect the risk for developing complications. For example, if you smoke, you are at higher risk for developing heart and blood vessel disease than someone who does not smoke.
Macrovascular diabetes complications include heart disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease.
Macrovascular diabetes complications are diseases and conditions of the large blood vessels caused by diabetes. These complications can occur in blood vessels in any part of the body.
Factors that contribute to macrovascular complications are high blood sugar, high insulin levels, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, and abnormalities in blood clotting.
Doctors do not understand what causes some people to develop diabetes complications while others do not. Some people may have tissue and unidentified factors that are resistant to damage. Lifestyle and inherited factors may also affect the risk for developing complications. For example, if you smoke, you are at higher risk for developing heart and blood vessel disease than someone who does not smoke.
Macrovascular diabetes complications include heart disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease.
Last Updated: August 9, 2007 Heart disease
People with diabetes are at risk for heart attack and other heart problems.
Stroke
People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have a stroke than people who do not have diabetes. Plaque buildup and clot formation cause blockage in the blood vessels leading to the brain. People with diabetes often have high blood pressure, which can cause abnormalities in the small blood vessels of the brain and lead to stroke.
Peripheral arterial disease
People with diabetes are at risk for narrowing of the large vessels of their legs. The resulting poor circulation impairs healing and means that even a minor injury or infection can develop into a serious infection. If you have peripheral diabetic neuropathy, you are at increased risk for injury to your feet and legs. A serious foot infection may travel up your leg, infect the bones, and may lead to an amputation.
People with diabetes are at risk for heart attack and other heart problems.
- Heart disease causes about 70% of the deaths in people with diabetes.
- The risk of dying from heart disease for men with diabetes is two to three times greater and for women with diabetes three to four times greater than for people without diabetes.
- People with diabetes who have had a heart problem (such as a heart attack) are two to three times more likely to have another heart problem than people with diabetes who have not had a prior problem.
- People with diabetes who have very small amounts of protein in their urine (microalbuminuria) are twice as likely to have a heart problem, such as heart attack, than people with diabetes who do not have protein in their urine.
Stroke
People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have a stroke than people who do not have diabetes. Plaque buildup and clot formation cause blockage in the blood vessels leading to the brain. People with diabetes often have high blood pressure, which can cause abnormalities in the small blood vessels of the brain and lead to stroke.
Peripheral arterial disease
People with diabetes are at risk for narrowing of the large vessels of their legs. The resulting poor circulation impairs healing and means that even a minor injury or infection can develop into a serious infection. If you have peripheral diabetic neuropathy, you are at increased risk for injury to your feet and legs. A serious foot infection may travel up your leg, infect the bones, and may lead to an amputation.