Metabolic syndrome and its relationship with Type 2 Diabetes & Pre Diabetes

Occurrence of type 2 diabetes is increasing in the United States of America. Pre diabetes is the condition when fasting or post-prandial glucose levels increase in the body. According to the American Diabetes Association, fasting glucose is considered impaired if the level is between 100 to 125 mg/dl.

On the other hand, elevated hemoglobin A1c or glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level might be considered pre diabetes. It included an elevation of 5.7 to 6.4 percent.

Cardiologists believe there is a relationship between metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes. An individual is diagnosed with the metabolic syndrome if any 3 of 5 medical components are identified in them. These five components are-

• Abdominal obesity
• Increased blood pressure
• High glucose level
• High triglycerides
• Reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in body

Abdominal obesity is very common in metabolic syndrome patients. In most of the individuals suffering from metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance is common. Therefore, it is believed that insulin resistance may be associated with the risk factors of metabolic syndrome.
Pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome may overlap. Patients can even consider the metabolic syndrome as a pre-diabetic stage.

However, the risk of diabetes in individuals with metabolic syndrome is approximately 5 times higher in comparison to individuals without this condition. In addition, if this syndrome is combined with pre-diabetes, the risk of diabetes gets higher.

Pre diabetes in individuals usually leads to macrovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. These two medical conditions are the major contributors for microvascular disease. This disease happens in individuals both before and after the beginning of diabetes. On the other hand, microvascular disease arises in individuals mostly a few years after becoming diabetic. Metabolic syndrome is one of the many risk factors for macrovascular disease.

One can prevent these medical conditions by making some early changes in lifestyle. It includes increased physical activity and weight reduction in those who are obese. These lifestyle changes also include less consumption of cholesterol, dietary saturated & trans-fatty acids, and sodium. These early changes in lifestyle are necessary for individuals at higher risk of metabolic syndrome and pre diabetes. An extensive evaluation for cardiovascular disease is also suggested by the best cardiologist in NY.

How modest fat gain and heart disease are related?

Noted medical news service HealthDay published a report, which showed that individuals who gain slight weight are at an increased  high risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease. The risks of cardiovascular disease increase in these individuals because weight gain deters the cell’s function that lines their blood vessels.

This report was based on a controlled study in which researchers observed two groups of young and healthy adult volunteers. One group had moderate weight gain (about 8 pounds) while the other group of volunteers maintained their weight. Researchers measured the endothelial function in volunteers’ bodies. This function measures the blood vessels’ ability to contract and expand, which controls the blood circulation. The endothelial function was measured by measuring the function of the brachial artery. It is the main blood vessel located in the arms.

During the study, researchers measured the brachial artery function before 8 weeks of weight gain. The second time, they measured it after the sixteen weeks of weight loss. In both groups of the volunteers, the researchers assessed the fat deposited in the area of abdomen. This study showed that the brachial artery’s ability to expand was reduced in individuals who put on mass in the belly area. This ability returned once these individuals lost all that extra mass.

Weight control is important for decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to the best heart doctors in New York, this study may support the need of weight control to decrease the risk of heart conditions.

This study shows that the moderate weight increment in the abdominal area may be the related to the endothelial dysfunction in the body. The risk of endothelial dysfunction can be prevented with a healthy diet and weight loss. The best heart doctors in NY say that this dysfunction may be an early sign of coronary artery disease. This study also supports preceding reports that associated measures of obesity to cardiovascular risk in individuals.

Did you know about the hidden benefits of exercising?

Health experts emphasize the benefits of exercising in the context of prevention of heart disease. According to studies, moderate exercising can be highly effective in the prevention of disease in general.

Regular exercising boosts the body immune system, enhances the response of the body to influenza vaccine, and reduces the risks of viral infections.

A daily exercise regimen that includes a simple thirty to forty-five minute brisk walk can produce many positive effects. It has been found that people who follow this regimen can decrease the numbers of sick days by up to 50% compared to individuals with a sedentary lifestyle.
A sedentary lifestyle can pose considerable risk to the health of an individual. It can contribute to the development of heart disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and osteoporosis.

Studies have also revealed that regular exercising can lower blood pressure, reduce bad cholesterol, and reduce the occurrence of diabetes that are all associated with the risk of heart disease.

However, a survey showed that only 4 out of 10 doctors talk about the importance and benefits of exercising with their patients, which is not a good indicator.

You must get in touch with your cardiologist in Manhattan to discuss the importance of a nutritious diet and exercising for the prevention of heart disease. Your doctor may also suggest a few muscle strengthening activities.

If you believe that you are at risk, visit your doctor for early detection of risk factors like elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Home Monitoring of Blood Pressure May Help You Control It Better

A recent health study revealed that patients with high blood pressure can better control their blood pressure at home, instead of traditional methods. High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is a serious medical condition that has been defined as a ‘silent killer’ because most of the time it does not show any warning signs or symptoms.

A study was performed to compare patients monitoring blood pressure at home and adjusting the medications based on their blood pressure with patients that were receiving usual care from their doctor. This study gave an indication that patients may be able to control their blood pressure more effectively by home through monitoring, rather than the traditional ways such as visiting a doctor’s office.

Therefore, it can be suggested that patients should monitor their blood pressure at home and adjust their medication accordingly.

Hypertension is a serious medical condition that can put you at high risk for a heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and congestive heart failure. Therefore, it is essential to seek help from the best cardiology doctors in NYC to detect whether or not you have high blood pressure. Your health professional can do that with a blood pressure check, which is quick and painless.

Why Women With Serious Angina Are At A Higher Risk Of Developing CAD?

According to a report by Health Day, women with serious angina are at a higher risk of developing severe coronary artery disease (CAD). This risk level is three times higher in women (with angina class IV) compared to men.

Angina is a serious health issue in which patients feel discomfort and chest pain. Usually, it is defined as a squeezing or pressing pain in the chest area. It is associated with a lack of oxygen supply to the heart. The shortage of oxygen is caused by blockages in arteries that supply blood to the heart. Other types of discomfort caused by angina include jaw pain, back pain, and burning in the chest. This discomfort increases with physical activity.

This report by Health Day was based on a study in which researchers found that women with class IV angina are at a higher risk of developing severe blockages in arteries compared to men. According to the top heart doctor in Manhattan, class IV is the most serious type of angina. In this type, patients suffer from its symptoms even while resting, or with minimal exercise and physical activity.

It is necessary for women to get early and accurate diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of cardiac problems directly leads to increased chances of mortality. This is why it becomes important to get proper evaluation if there is a suspicion of heart disease. Stress testing is one of the medical tests for the early detection of blockages to the heart.

According to the top Manhattan cardiologists, nuclear cardiac stress testing is an accurate test for risk assessment and prognosis of heart disease in female patients. This test provides accurate results in female patients suffering with both typical and atypical chest discomfort.

Why the incidence of stroke is increasing in young and middle aged people?

The incidence of strokes (also known as CVA) is increasing in individuals aged between 20 to 54 years. This rise in CVA occurrence was shown by various medical studies performed in the past few years.

A stroke is an event when blood circulation to the brain stops. It results in reduced oxygen supply to the brain, which causes the brain cells to die. Symptoms of this event can occur all of a sudden and without any type of warning.

In addition, the occurrence and types of symptoms depend on the damaged part of the brain. Usually, the patient experiences symptoms like change in vision, difficulty in talking, muscle weakness (on one side of the body) and sudden headache. Many individuals also suffer from symptoms like loss of balance, lack of coordination, and other neurologic warning signs.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension is the major risk factor for stroke. There are several other risk factors for CVA such as atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, elevated cholesterol, and smoking. A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is also a risk factor for this event in young and middle aged individuals. PFO is a congenital small hole in the heart since birth.

According to the best cardiologist in NYC, the improved and latest medical technology may be associated with the increasing number of stroke diagnoses in individuals. The augmented use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a diagnostic tool to detect strokes in young individuals may partly be related to the increased detection of CVA.

Cardiologists suggest that an individual (especially aged between 20 to 55 years) should get an early diagnosis of stroke’s risk factors through blood testing, blood pressure evaluation, carotid ultrasound  and also echocardiography.

Link between Diabetes Type 2 and Heart Problems

Type 2 diabetes is a serious health condition that influences the way body metabolizes sugar or glucose. Type 2 diabetes patients are resistant to insulin and their bodies do not produce sufficient insulin for maintaining the glucose levels.

Symptoms of diabetes 2 develop slowly and may include frequent urination, increased appetite, weight loss, increase in thirst, blurred vision, fatigue, etc.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include inactivity, obesity, family history, and pre-diabetes. The most important complication of type 2 diabetes is cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and narrowing of arteries.

Type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed through a blood test like the A1C test, or fasting blood sugar test.
Top cardiologists in NYC suggest regular screening to people that are over 45 years of age and are overweight. Thos under 45years of age that are overweight and have any heart disease or risk factors associated with diabetes are also suggested to go for screening.

In research, it was found that INTENSIVE blood sugar control actually harms people with type 2 diabetes and heart problems. The study revealed that intensive efforts to control A1C can decrease rate of heart attack, but an increase in the chances of death.

Treatment

Blood glucose monitoring, healthy diet and daily exercise regimen are the initial treatment for type 2 diabetes. Your diet should include fruits, fresh vegetables, and whole grains.

If you are overweight, you need to get rid of your excess pounds, which is an important part of the type 2 diabetes treatment. Aerobic exercises are important and you should allocate 30 minutes for vigorous aerobics, almost every day.

If you notice any symptoms or risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes, it is highly recommended to book a consultation session with your cardiologist to get your condition evaluated.

How a new device is helping in the accurate diagnosis of high blood pressure?

Elevated blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is one of the main risk factors for heart disease. People with high blood pressure are always at a higher risk of cardiovascular problems, which includes heart attack and stroke.



It is very difficult to detect hypertension due to the lack of symptoms in its earlier phases. Another issue faced in detecting high blood pressure is the white coat effect or white coat hypertension. It is a phenomenon that causes variation in the blood pressure levels.

The blood pressure of some patients gets higher in the presence of medical personnel, which results in misdiagnosis of this condition.

For more accurate diagnosis of hypertension, it is necessary for a patient to visit a physician’s office multiple times. According to the reports, white coat hypertension may account for 20 to 25 percent of hypertensive patients, which clearly indicates that hypertension may be over diagnosed.

Recent studies show that 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and self-measurement at home provide more accurate diagnosis.

In the past few years, BpTRU (a new device that provides accurate hypertension diagnosis) has been accepted by several healthcare centers across country. The Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine has shown a noticeable increase in the accuracy of high blood pressure detection with the use of this device, compared to the standard techniques. BpTRU readings are usually associated with the average awake ambulatory blood pressure.

It automatically records blood pressure without any help from healthcare professionals. It records the blood pressure of a patient every 2 minutes. It includes a readout of 5 blood pressures along with an average level in a single visit to the physician’s office. This device is now considered one of the best methods for the accurate diagnosis of hypertension by a cardiologist in New York City. Many of the respected healthcare centers are now using this device to diagnose accurate hypertension in patients.

How Vitamin D deficiency is connected with the risk of cardiovascular disease?

Medical news service Med Page Today published a report that says- up to a great extent, the clinical results in a person with heart failure can be evaluated on the basis of their vitamin D status. This report was based on a study that was presented at the European Society of Cardiology .This study showed that the lower level of vitamin D in the body is connected with an increased risk of death for patients with congestive heart failure.

According to the best cardiologists in New York, vitamin D deficiency is very common in the United States of America. Reports and other evidence is emerging rapidly that suggest that the reduced level of vitamin D in the body affects the cardiovascular system adversely.
In 2008, an article was published in the journal Circulation (by the American Heart Association) in which the authors found that vitamin D deficiency was linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This article was based on a community based study.

In this study, the authors found that individuals with hypertension or high blood pressure were evidently at a higher risk of heart disease. Some other studies also showed that individuals with heart attacks, stroke, heart failure and other types of cardiovascular disease had a low level of vitamin D.

In March 2010, there was another study presented at the American College of Cardiology. This study showed that patients with a low level of vitamin D can reduce the risk of heart attack by 33%, if they improve the vitamin D level. Moreover, the risk of heart failure for these patients is also reduced to 20% and they are 30% less likely to die over an average follow up period of one year.

Patients can increase their vitamin D level by taking appropriate supplements. Doctors and cardiologists recommend their patients avoid taking supplements without proper medical consultation. Patients should take supplements only under a doctor’s supervision. Doctors can evaluate the vitamin D level in the body through a blood test. Careful and brief skin exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet light is another method to increase the level of vitamin D in the body.

The reason behind the Increasing Number of Heart Attacks during the Holidays

A heart attack is the result of an acute blockage of blood supply to the heart. There are a few symptoms such as chest pressure, shortness of breath, jaw pain, indigestion, etc that can be associated with heart attack. A heart attack can also occur without any symptoms, which is known as a silent heart attack. According to research, it has been discovered that the incidence of heart attacks increase around the Christmas and New Year season.

There are plenty of reasons behind this increase and cold weather is one of them. Extreme cold weather and snow shoveling can lead to increased clotting of blood by contracting the blood vessels to the heart.

Get in touch with the best cardiology doctor in Manhattan for detailed information about heart attack and to know about the ways to prevent it. According to a few cardiologists, many preventative steps can be taken to avert heart attacks.

Daily exercise is vital, particularly prior to skiing. A heart healthy diet is equally important, which includes the Mediterranean diet enriched with fiber and omega 3 fatty acid foods.

On the other hand, no sudden vigorous exercise should be performed if you do not have good overall health. Physiological factors such as anger, depression, and aggression should be controlled. If you have any doubts or uncertainties regarding your heart’s health, then you must get in touch with a cardiologist for preventative testing and screening so that you can do the best to prevent it.