Heart Disease and Diabetes

Researchers found 13 new genetic variants that influence blood glucose regulation, insulin resistance, and the function of insulin-secreting beta cells in populations of European descent. Five of the variants increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Strictly controlling blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetics with long-term, serious coexisting health problems such as heart disease and hypertension does not lower their risk of a heart attack or stroke.

According a new study of over 3,000 adults aged 70-79, the apparent association between light-to-moderate alcohol consumption and reduced risk of functional decline over time did not hold up after adjustments were made for characteristics related to lifestyle, in particular physical activity, body weight, education, and income.

A program that bundled two generic, low-cost drugs and gave daily doses to diabetics or heart disease sufferers is estimated to have prevented heart attacks and strokes in the first year.

Children with more fat around their midsections could be at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life, researchers say.

New findings suggest that it's not whether body fat is stored in the belly that affects metabolic risk factors for diabetes, high blood triglycerides and cardiovascular disease, but whether it collects in the liver.

Low levels of vitamin D are known to nearly double the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes, and researchers now think they know why.

Even as low-carbohydrate/high-protein diets have proven successful at helping individuals rapidly lose weight, little is known about the diets' long-term effects on vascular health.

People who take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins after a stroke may be less likely to have another stroke later.

Even while their blood pressures are still normal, overweight male teens may have elevated levels of a hormone known to increase pressures as well as early signs of heart damage.

People with diabetes who maintain intensive, low blood sugar levels are significantly less likely to suffer heart attacks and coronary heart disease.

Increased carotid artery wall thickness (CAWT), which can cause heart attack and stroke in many patients, is significantly related to diabetes and hypertension.

Eating salmon or other fatty fish just once a week helped reduce men's risk of heart failure, adding to growing evidence that omega-3 fatty acids are of benefit to cardiac health.

Routine screening for coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetes patients with no symptoms of angina or a history of coronary disease is unnecessary and may lead initially to more invasive and costly heart procedures.

Fructose-sweetened but not glucose-sweetened beverages can adversely affect both sensitivity to the hormone insulin and how the body handles fats, creating medical conditions that increase susceptibility to heart attack and stroke.

Research has identified how to use selected stem cells from bone marrow to grow new blood vessels to treat diseases such as peripheral artery disease.