More Diabetic Patients Need Cardio- and Renoprotective Drugs
Are you diabetic and over the age of 55? Please make sure your doctor gives you a complete cardiovascular check-up at your next appointment. An analysis of the huge National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) dataset found that almost all older diabetic individuals need some kind of drug treatment for heart disease but half are not getting it.
Of 742 diabetic patients ages 55 or older,
- Only 53.4% of those with four or more indications for treatment had received angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB).
- 92% met at least one of the three clinical indications for treatment (e.g. cardiovascular disease, hypertension or albuminuria) or had an additional risk factor (e.g. hyperlipidemia or smoking) for cardiovascular disease
- Only 43% of those with risk factors were on an ACE inhibitor or ARB drug.
Quite shocking considering how much more often most diabetic patients need to visit their personal physicians. Another reminder that if you don’t take your own health into your hands, your doctor may not be able to catch it for you.
To learn more about type 2 diabetes, visit our sister blog Diabetes Notes written by our new blogger, Rob Rummel-Hudson, who was just diagnosed in February.
MedPage Today, April 19, 2006
Technorati Tags: diabetes, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, cvd, heart, disease, health, cardio, nhanes
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POSTED IN: Hearty Healthcare, Hearty Research
2 opinions for More Diabetic Patients Need Cardio- and Renoprotective Drugs
rob
Apr 22, 2006 at 6:44 pm
My father-in-law is diabetic. Recently, they had to chop off his foot, to put it bluntly. I think all diabetics should take extra care in their diet and visiting the doctor regularly to check their feet and other limbs. Since my father-in-law is extra lazy and does not seem to grasp the seriousness of his illness, he ate whatever he wanted, which included a lot of carbohydrate. When asking him to change his lifestyle, he merely said that he is used to what he does now. So, now the foot is gone, and he regrets everything.
Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD
Apr 23, 2006 at 6:37 am
rob: Hi! How are you? I’m sorry to hear about your FIL. :( A cautionary tale, isn’t it? Hope he’s doing better now and has changed his lifestyle.
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