Study finds pre-diabetes almost doubles heart attack or stroke risk

Research has suggested that having pre-diabetes can nearly double the risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack, due to damage cased to the arteries by high blood sugar.

The research undertaken at Beaumont Hospital in Michigan involved the analysis of data on 25,000 patients, 50 per cent of whom had pre-diabetes, and the results of which showed they had a higher risk of experiencing a stroke and heart attack.

The teams said that high glucose levels over an extended period can cause critical damage to the heart and blood vessels, which increases the risk of them failing.

In the study, patients between the ages of 18 and 104 with either pre-diabetes or normal blood sugar levels were followed, and 14 years’ worth of health records were studied. The results showed that 18 per cent of those with pre-diabetes suffered serious ‘cardiovascular events’ such as a heart attack, during this time. The same happened to just 11 per cent of those who had normal blood sugar.

The study also found that people with pre-diabetes were also much more likely to suffer a stroke.

Dr Adrian Michel, who led the study, said “Based on our data, having pre-diabetes nearly doubled the chance of a major adverse cardiovascular event, which accounts for one of four deaths in the US.

“Even if blood sugar levels went back to normal range, it didn’t really change their higher risk of having an event, so preventing pre-diabetes from the start may be the best approach.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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