Let ’ s talk Diabetes & Stroke
An interview with American Stroke Association
by Arv Kalsi Responses by Dr Bruce Ovbiagele
1 ) We know from the International Diabetes Federation Atlas 2018 that the prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide , but in Africa alone , we see a 156 % increase by 2045 . Is the prevalence of associated complications , i . e . Stroke and Heart Disease , showing the same trends ?
Yes , we are definitely seeing a substantial rise in the occurrence of stroke in Africa , primarily driven by rising hypertension rates but certainly worsened by growing rates of diabetes . Death rates from stroke worldwide are highest in Africa and are unfortunately expected to worsen as hypertension and diabetes rates rise on the continent .
3 ) What would you advise are the main risk factors of diabetes and stroke , which is seen as a deadly combination ?
Stroke : Hypertension , Diabetes , high cholesterol , smoking , physical inactivity , unhealthy diet , especially high salt intake
Diabetes : obesity , physical inactivity , unhealthy diet .
4 ) What advice and guidance would you give people with diabetes who want to reduce their risk of stroke ? Are any risk assessment tools available for use from the comfort of one ’ s home ?
KnowDiabetesbyHeart . org for resources .
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2 ) What initiatives is the American Stroke Association currently working on concerning Diabetes and Stroke ?
The American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association launched the collaborative landmark initiative called Know Diabetes by Heart™ to comprehensively combat the national public health impact of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease . Through ‘ Know Diabetes by Heart™ ’, the leading nonprofit associations are focused on positively empowering people living with type 2 diabetes to manage cardiovascular disease risk better while supporting health care providers in educating and treating people living with type 2 diabetes to reduce their cardiovascular risk .
Lowering your blood pressure cuts your risk of stroke for anyone . The good news is that high blood pressure can be controlled . Your blood pressure is more than a one-time reading at the doctor ’ s office . Checking your BP at home regularly will help you to take control so you can let your doctor know if it ’ s normally above 120 / 80 . If it is , you may need lifestyle changes or medication to help .
Make sure you have adequate glycemic ( blood glucose ) control . It could be in the form of fasting blood glucose checks and or the glycosylated haemoglobin test , which your physician does and provides information on how well your blood glucose has been controlled over the preceding 3 months .
It usually involves complying with your prescribed medications along with complying