Urgent warning to anyone living with type 2 diabetes over ‘hidden, killer side effect’
DIABETES patients are at greater risk of undiagnosed heart disease, a study shows.
One in three people with type 2 diabetes could be suffering the deadly condition unbeknownst to them, US researchers found.
They found high levels of specific proteins in the blood could indicate heart damage in diabetics with symptomless heart disease, compared to those without diabetes.
Dr Elizabeth Selvin, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said these biomarkers could indicate who is at most risk.
She said: “What we are seeing is that many people with type 2 diabetes who have not had a heart attack or a history of heart disease are at high risk for cardiovascular complications.
“When we look at the whole population of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, some are at low risk and some are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, so the open question is ‘Who is most at risk?’
“These cardiac biomarkers give us a window into cardiovascular risk in people who otherwise might not be recognised as highest risk.”
More than 5million Brits are thought to be living with diabetes, with cases doubling in the last 15 years.
The NHS spends at least £10billion a year on the disease — around 10 per cent of its entire budget.
It causes blood sugar levels to become too high because the body does not produce enough of the hormone insulin, which breaks down glucose.
Previous research has shown having type 2 diabetes can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.
The latest study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, looked at how likely the condition is in people who have not been diagnosed.
Researchers analysed health information and blood samples for more than 10,300 adults from 1999 to 2004.
None had been diagnosed with heart disease at the start of the study and researchers sought to see if the proteins indicated an increased risk.
They found 33.4 per cent of people with diabetes had signs of undetected cardiovascular disease, as indicated by elevated levels of the two protein markers.
For comparison, just 16.1 per cent of those without diabetes had signs.
High levels were associated with a 54 per cent greater risk of death from heart problems in people with diabetes, compared to regular levels.
Dr Selvin said: Cholesterol is often the factor that we target to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
“However, type 2 diabetes may have a direct effect on the heart not related to cholesterol levels.
“Our research suggests that additional non-statin-related therapies are needed to lower the cardiovascular disease risk in people with type 2 diabetes.”