THE BE T
Patient Focus
CARDIOSMART CORNER
Tackling the Challenge of Diabetes
There are currently 29 million Americans living with diabetes . For these patients and their loved ones , knowing how to manage this disease is important in helping to prevent diabetes-related health problems such as heart attack , stroke , kidney disease , vision loss and amputation . Diabetes patients are up to four times more likely to have heart disease or suffer a stroke than those without the disease .
Healthy eating , exercise , insulin therapy and diabetes medication , and routine blood sugar monitoring can all help in the management of diabetes . Additionally , it is important for people at risk for diabetes to be aware of the symptoms such as extreme thirst , blurry vision , fatigue , unexplained weight loss , frequent infections and tingling or numbness in the hands or feet . Knowing family history of diabetes can also help minimize risk .
The ACC is working to transform the future of diabetes care through the Diabetes Collaborative Registry , an interdisciplinary effort in partnership with the American Diabetes Association , the American College of Physicians , the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the Joslin Diabetes Center . The registry provides a unique , longitudinal view of the presentation , progression , management , and outcomes of patients with diabetes as they receive care and treatment from multidisciplinary care teams .
Diabetes patients and their caregivers can also visit CardioSmart . org to learn about their condition and how best to manage it . Patients can also find tips for working with their care team and additional resources about diabetes . For more information , visit CardioSmart . org .
Martha Gulati , MD , MS CardioSmart Editor-in-Chief
Study Confirms Benefits of Limiting Sodium Intake
Lowering salt intake remains an important lifestyle change for adults with elevated blood pressure ( BP ), according to a study published in JACC .
The study looked at the impact of salt intake on mortality risk in adults with elevated BP . Researchers analyzed data from two phases of the Trials of Hypertension Prevention Follow-up Study conducted from 1987 – 1990 and 1990 – 1995 . The study included more than 3,000 U . S . adults with elevated BP between the ages of 30 and 54 . Participants were followed for up to three years , during which time they provided multiple 24-hour urine samples to track sodium intake .
After more than 2 decades , analysis showed that the higher participants ’ sodium intake was during the study period , the greater their 20-year mortality risk was . For example , adults consuming less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day had significantly lower mortality risk than those with higher sodium intake . Overall , each 1,000 mg / day increase in sodium intake was associated with a 12 % increase in mortality risk . Additionally , having a low sodium intake was not associated with an increase in mortality risk , as some studies have found .
The study ’ s findings support current guidelines that recommend limiting daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg a day to promote better health . With additional research , authors hope findings will help resolve controversy around sodium intake and provide clarity on dietary guidelines .
Cook NR , Appel LJ , Whelton PK . J Am Coll Cardiol . 2016 ; 68 ( 15 ): 1609-17 .
10 CardioSource WorldNews November 2016