Heart disease goes undiagnosed in one-third of adults with type 2 diabetes: study

One-third of adults with type 2 diabetes may not be diagnosed with heart disease. Compared to people without type 2 diabetes, higher levels of two protein biomarkers that indicate heart damage were associated with undiagnosed or asymptomatic heart disease in individuals with type 2 diabetes. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

To detect cardiac damage and stress, tests for high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide are used. These tests are often used to identify heart failure and heart attack.

The risk of future heart failure, coronary heart disease, or mortality may be increased by small amounts of these proteins in the blood, which may be an early indicator of changes in heart structure and function.

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“What we’re seeing is that many people with type 2 diabetes who haven’t had a heart attack or a history of heart disease are at high risk for cardiovascular complications,” said study co-author Elizabeth Selvin, PhD. MPH said. professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

“When we look at the entire population of people with type 2 diabetes, according to the CDC, about 27 million adults in the U.S., some are at low risk and some are at high risk for heart disease, so the open question is” who is most at risk? Who is it?” These cardiac biomarkers give us a window into cardiovascular risk in people who might not otherwise be identified as being at highest risk.”

Researchers analyzed health information and blood samples for more than 10,300 adults collected from 1999 to 2004 as part of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Cardiac protein biomarkers in people with and without type 2 diabetes. Study participants did not report any history of cardiovascular disease when they enrolled in the study.

Using blood samples collected from all study participants, the researchers measured the levels of two cardiac biomarkers. Mortality data was collected from the National Death Index. After adjusting for age, race, income, and cardiovascular risk factors, they evaluated the associations between elevated troponin and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptides with the risk of cardiovascular death or death from all causes.

“Cholesterol is often the factor we target to reduce the risk of heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes. However, type 2 diabetes can have direct effects on the heart that are not related to cholesterol levels. If the direct damage type 2 diabetes is causing to the small vessels in the heart isn’t related to cholesterol plaque buildup, then cholesterol-lowering drugs aren’t going to prevent cardiac damage, Selvin said.

“Our research suggests that additional non-statin-related therapies are needed to reduce the risk of heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes.”

Much research has focused on how traditional risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol impact cardiovascular health, however, new evidence suggests that screening for certain cardiac biomarkers should be included in the routine assessment of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. should be added.

“The biomarkers analyzed in this study are very powerful in systematically classifying patients based on their health status. Measuring biomarkers more regularly allows us to focus cardiovascular prevention therapies for people with type 2 diabetes.” may help those who are at high risk.”