{"id":3077,"date":"2020-11-04T15:15:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T15:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world-heart-federation.org\/news\/the-diabetes-heart-connection-and-the-threat-of-covid-19-2\/"},"modified":"2021-08-20T12:25:29","modified_gmt":"2021-08-20T10:25:29","slug":"the-diabetes-heart-connection-and-the-threat-of-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/world-heart-federation.org\/news\/the-diabetes-heart-connection-and-the-threat-of-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"The diabetes-heart connection and the threat of COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 400 million people are already living with type 2 diabetes and the number is rising on every continent. In the COVID-19 pandemic, diabetes has emerged as one of the most threatening underlying illnesses that complicates effective treatment. Diabetes was also a risk factor for severe disease and mortality in the SARS, MERS and H1N1 outbreaks. And impaired immunity response in diabetics then \u2013 as now \u2013 poses an\u00a0additional risk<\/a>. The currently diagnosed diabetics, and the more than 350 million people said to be at risk of developing the disease, make matters urgent for well-being and accessible care worldwide.\u00a0 Furthermore,\u00a0as many as half<\/a>\u00a0of those who have diabetes are unaware of it.<\/p>\n

Diabetes is a disease linked to levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood and the body\u2019s production and use of insulin \u2013 and sometimes resistance to insulin \u2014 the hormone that helps keep those sugar levels safe. Erratic blood sugar levels in diabetics can wear out blood vessels of the heart and indeed, the most prevalent cause of mortality in people with diabetes is cardiovascular disease. This\u00a0diabetes-heart<\/a>\u00a0disease link has been demonstrated in some research findings: at least 68% of people aged 65 or older\u00a0with diabetes\u00a0die from a form of heart disease<\/a>\u00a0and adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease than adults without diabetes.<\/p>\n

Age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic background play a role in our likelihood of developing diabetes and related heart disease. At the same time, diabetes has been called a \u2018lifestyle\u2019 disease because factors such as healthy food choices, tobacco abstinence and regular physical exercise can keep risk at bay or minimise its impact. In addition to increasing awareness of the risks of diabetes and the healthy steps we can take, critical changes in policy approaches are urgently needed. These changes include fair access to appropriate care and the opportunities and means to afford heart-healthy choices in our daily lives.<\/p>\n

Encompassing affordable healthcare, targeted medication, monitoring, education and access to healthy lifestyle options, the worldwide diabetes problem requires intervention on many levels. The World Heart Federation\u2019s practical roadmap provides\u00a0a framework to guide countries in developing their approaches to preventing heart disease and diabetes. The roadmap includes data at a glance, recommendations for effective interventions, and examples of best practice in diagnosis and management.<\/p>\n

The numbers across the globe consistently reflect the compounded impact of the current pandemic on diabetes patients. One\u00a0Lancet study<\/a> that looked at 61 million medical records in the U.K showed that at least one-third of COVID-19 deaths occurred in diabetic patients. In early data from China, USA, and developing countries as well, diabetes and heart disease showed up among the top risk factors for complications with COVID-19. In Brazil, diabetes and cardiovascular disease have been described as\u00a0leading underlying illnesses<\/a>\u00a0linked to death from COVID-19. The pattern seems to appear elsewhere, such as in small island states where diabetes is prevalent, with one\u00a0paper citing Fiji and Mauritius<\/a>\u00a0as examples. \u00a0But what about the other way around \u2013 could COVID-19 also cause diabetes? It is an\u00a0avenue of research<\/a>\u00a0being explored as scientists look at the impact the disease might be having on patients with no previous diabetic issues.<\/p>\n

Meeting the challenge of treating those most at risk from COVID-19 is critical to enhancing care in the long-term. The pandemic is accelerating learning as we experiment and exchange among peers and patients alike. Management and treatment plans for COVID-19 might lead to medical approaches for diabetes, heart disease and hypertension further afield, also through increased applications of technology and\u00a0digital innovation<\/a>. \u00a0In addition, there could be increased emphasis on patient self-care.<\/p>\n

The World Heart Federation is on a mission to bring about heart health for everyone. Especially with what we know about diabetes and heart health being heavily affected by lifestyle, it is truly a question of \u2018leaving no heart behind.\u2019 This means connecting the branches of science, government, industry, policymakers and patients whose respective skills and experience can ensure the most beneficial outcome.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than 400 million people are already living with type 2 diabetes and the number is rising on every continent. In the COVID-19 pandemic, diabetes has emerged as one of the most threatening underlying illnesses that complicates effective treatment. Diabetes was also a risk factor for severe disease and mortality in the SARS, MERS and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3078,"template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"event":[],"project-campaign":[],"topic":[5,163],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe diabetes-heart connection and the threat of COVID-19 - World Heart Federation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world-heart-federation.org\/news\/the-diabetes-heart-connection-and-the-threat-of-covid-19\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The diabetes-heart connection and the threat of COVID-19 - World Heart Federation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"More than 400 million people are already living with type 2 diabetes and the number is rising on every continent. 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