Vim & Vigor - Summer 2019 - CH - 17

"The response to vacillations in blood
sugar and insulin levels means that other
regulatory systems become active, causing consequences like high blood pressure," Yancy says. And once you develop
a second issue such as hypertension, physicians are especially concerned.
"Now you are really at risk for having
things that we worry about as cardiologists, such as heart attacks, heart failure,
stroke and kidney failure," Yancy says.
The connections between cardiovascular problems and type 2 diabetes
are, as Yancy says, "so strong and
so profound" that doctors even have
a name for what it means to have a
combination of risk factors: cardiometabolic syndrome. The Journal of
Diabetes & Metabolism has called it a
"global epidemic."
If people are having annual physicals,
doctors can help them spot what Yancy
calls "cardiometabolic risk factors,"
such as weight gain or increased blood
pressure or cholesterol. Even if the
numbers don't officially fall in the high
ranges yet, these kinds of increases can
often precede diabetes.

What You Can Do

According to Yancy, whether you have
type 2 diabetes or a diagnosis like
hypertension or high cholesterol, the
solution is the same: Start practicing
smart daily habits.
"It begins and ends with a conversation about lifestyle, both to prevent
diabetes and cardiac conditions and to
treat these issues," Yancy says.
3 Don't smoke. Smokers are 30 to
40 percent more likely to develop diabetes, and the surgeon general reports
that 1 in 4 deaths from cardiovascular
disease are caused by smoking. People
with diabetes who smoke also have
more trouble controlling blood sugar.
3 Lose weight (or don't gain it).
Obesity is a risk factor for all the diseases mentioned above, and Yancy
warns that someone's BMI (or body
mass index, a measure of weight relative

to height) may creep up slowly over
several years. It doesn't take a drastic
weight gain to be classified as medically overweight.
For example, a woman who is 5 feet,
4 inches tall would have a healthy BMI
at 145 pounds, but she'd be considered
overweight at 150. "Most of us need to
be at lower weights for medical reasons,
not cosmetic ones," Yancy says.
3 Eat less and smarter. Yancy recommends people follow a heart-healthy
eating plan. This means limiting sodium
and saturated fats, increasing foods rich
in fiber and potassium, and including
olive oil, fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts,
seeds, whole grains and lean protein.
"This can lower systolic blood pressure as much as 11 points, and it can
also help someone who is prediabetic
or diabetic," he says. Finally, limit or
avoid alcohol.
3 Prioritize exercise. Yancy recommends that all adults aim for 150 minutes
of movement each week, which could
mean 20 minutes of daily brisk walking
on weekdays and a longer workout on
Saturday or Sunday.
As a cardiologist, Yancy tries to persuade people to change their habits
before taking medication. "The same
logic applies to everyone, and what I tell
my patients is: Stick to the basics-do
more, eat less and know your numbers."
Doing so will not only help you prevent or manage chronic conditions like
diabetes and heart disease, but it will
also ensure you stay healthy and active
enough to fully enjoy life. ■

Heart Health:
The Diabetes
Connection
Heart health and diabetes are tightly
linked since having one puts you at risk for
the other. A diagnosis of diabetes doubles
the risk for cardiac conditions such as
high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Having uncontrolled high blood pressure
and abnormal or low HDL cholesterol and/
or high triglycerides can increase your risk
of developing type 2 diabetes.
The connection between cardiovascular health and type 2 diabetes is strong
and profound, says P. Ramon Llobet, MD,
a Community Care Network cardiologist
on staff at Community Hospital, Munster,
and St. Catherine Hospital, East Chicago.
"This combination of risk factors called
'cardiometabolic syndrome' can be monitored through the cardiovascular screenings and risk assessments offered through
the hospitals and outpatient centers
affiliated with the Community Healthcare
System. Even if the numbers don't fall in
the high ranges yet, these increases often
precede diabetes," he explains.
Fortunately, it is within your control
to avoid both of these diseases with lifestyle changes.
Whether you have type 2 diabetes or
a diagnosis like hypertension or high cholesterol, the remedy is the same: to start
practicing smart lifestyle habits.
The benefits can be compared to winning a doubleheader, says Llobet.
"It begins and ends with a conversation
about lifestyle, both to prevent diabetes and cardiac conditions and to treat
issues," he says.

CALL

Find Your Baseline
Screenings can help keep you healthy. Options include the Community
Coronary Scan (Fee: $200. Call 219-836-4599); cardiovascular disease risk
assessments (Free. Call 219-392-7827); and LIVE comprehensive vascular
screenings (Fee: $90. Register: 219-836-3477).

SUMME R 2019

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2019 - CH

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