Over the past 30 years, the incidence of Type 2 diabetes has tripled, making the condition the third leading cause of heart disease among Americans. Women aged 55 with diabetes are seven times more likely to have heart disease than women without diabetes. Sixty-five percent of people with diabetes also have high blood pressure.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in people with diabetes.
Researchers compared 1,059 Type 2 diabetics without known heart disease symptoms to 1,373 people without diabetes who had diagnosed heart disease. All study subjects were age 45-64. Results suggest the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death from heart disease is almost identical for both groups. The authors conclude that atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries, is a major cause of increased CVD risk of in people with diabetes. The results are similar for persons with Type 1 diabetes.