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Reducing the Triple Threat
Seems if you get one, you get them all.
I'm talking about a combination of serious health problems that often begin with Type 2 Adult Diabetes. Repeat after me: '23 million Americans are diabetic and one-third don't even know it!'
Adult diabetics often develop elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure. From a medical standpoint that situation is really the triangle of death. Hey, does that sound harsh to you? All three of these complex problems damage blood vessels - from tiny capillaries to larger arteries. Restricted bloodflow ensues and inadequate perfusion of oxygen and nutrients to the brain, the heart, the kidneys and everywhere else is devastating.
Now, if only one leg of that three-legged coffee table could be removed the whole thing might collapse! Using an obese diabetic as an example, weight loss not only reverses the diabetes (glucose intolerance) it simultaneously improves blood lipid levels and lowers blood pressure.
Well, now it seems that some medications can achieve a similar affect. According to a clinical study in this month's British Journal of Ophthalmology, the cholesterol-lowering pill Lipitor greatly improves retinal circulation in diabetics. Type II diabetics with diabetic retinopathy were prescribed either Lipitor or a placebo. Whereas no changes were recorded in the sugar-pill volunteers, those taking the Lipitor not only had much healthier serum lipis levels (as expected) they also were found to have greatly improved retinal circulation as measured with color doppler imaging. Improved retinal bloodflow is critical to preventing the blinding complications of diabetic retinopathy.
As an aside, an internist friend confided to me that in his opinion everyone over 50 ought to be taking Lipitor every day as well as an aspirin. You might want to check with your doctor to test this theory.
Reference: Ozkiris A, Erkilic K, Koc A, Mistik S. The effect of atorvastatin on ocular blood flow velocities in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Br J Ophthalmol 2006
Related Topics: Got Type 2 Diabetes? Get More Sleep, Diabetes Prevention: 6 New Guidelines
Technorati Tags: diabetes, diabetic retinopathy
I'm talking about a combination of serious health problems that often begin with Type 2 Adult Diabetes. Repeat after me: '23 million Americans are diabetic and one-third don't even know it!'
Adult diabetics often develop elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure. From a medical standpoint that situation is really the triangle of death. Hey, does that sound harsh to you? All three of these complex problems damage blood vessels - from tiny capillaries to larger arteries. Restricted bloodflow ensues and inadequate perfusion of oxygen and nutrients to the brain, the heart, the kidneys and everywhere else is devastating.
Now, if only one leg of that three-legged coffee table could be removed the whole thing might collapse! Using an obese diabetic as an example, weight loss not only reverses the diabetes (glucose intolerance) it simultaneously improves blood lipid levels and lowers blood pressure.
Well, now it seems that some medications can achieve a similar affect. According to a clinical study in this month's British Journal of Ophthalmology, the cholesterol-lowering pill Lipitor greatly improves retinal circulation in diabetics. Type II diabetics with diabetic retinopathy were prescribed either Lipitor or a placebo. Whereas no changes were recorded in the sugar-pill volunteers, those taking the Lipitor not only had much healthier serum lipis levels (as expected) they also were found to have greatly improved retinal circulation as measured with color doppler imaging. Improved retinal bloodflow is critical to preventing the blinding complications of diabetic retinopathy.
As an aside, an internist friend confided to me that in his opinion everyone over 50 ought to be taking Lipitor every day as well as an aspirin. You might want to check with your doctor to test this theory.
Reference: Ozkiris A, Erkilic K, Koc A, Mistik S. The effect of atorvastatin on ocular blood flow velocities in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Br J Ophthalmol 2006
Related Topics: Got Type 2 Diabetes? Get More Sleep, Diabetes Prevention: 6 New Guidelines
Technorati Tags: diabetes, diabetic retinopathy
