Keeping your heart in good shape in middle age can help you avoid Type 2 diabetes, according to a research team from the Netherlands.
The research, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, also found that cardiovascular health can exceed genetics in helping to reduce one’s risk of Type 2 diabetes.
“There are a multitude of lifestyle and health factors that are common risks for developing cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. We also know that both prediabetes and diabetes are significant risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Brett Nowlan, a cardiologist with the Hartford HealthCare Heart & Vascular Institute. “For most people, having a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of heart attack or stroke. This increased risk is comparable to those people who have suffered a prior heart attack or stroke, which is why Type 2 diabetes is often considered a ‘cardiovascular disease equivalent.’“
The average middle-aged person is more at risk for Type 2 diabetes than ever, he added. About 12 percent of American adults have Type 2 diabetes, and 34 percent have prediabetes, the precursor condition.
“The likelihood of developing new onset Type 2 diabetes above the age of 55 is at least 20 percent, and, in some groups, more than 30 percent,” Dr. Nowlan said.
It’s never too late to focus on cardiovascular health, he said. Even those already in middle age or beyond can adopt heart-healthy habits – a healthy diet, frequent exercise, low alcohol intake and not smoking — that will benefit their blood sugar levels as well.
“Whether one is entirely healthy, has a risky family history, has one or two risk factors, already has prediabetes or diabetes, or already suffered a cardiovascular event, paying attention to one’s activity levels, diet, smoking, cholesterol control and blood pressure control will always improve health and outcomes,” he said. “In fact, people who are the sickest and most unwell derive the most benefit from even modest improvements.”
Also, understanding genetic predisposition to certain diseases is helpful and can guide preventive measures, but it’s not always an accurate prediction of the future, Dr. Nowlan said.
“Genetic predisposition is not an inevitable conclusion,” he said. “I tell my patients that genetics determines a ‘bracket’ of health one is subject to, but this bracket is actually quite broad. By pursuing healthy lifestyle habits and appropriately treating risk factors, one can enjoy health at the far good end of the ‘bracket.’ Conversely, by ignoring controllable risk factors, one’s health will be at the far bad end of this bracket.”
