Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Can High Cholesterol Cause Diabetes

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If I Already Have Cardiovascular Disease What Should My Cholesterol Numbers Be

Diabetes and cholesterol | How it works | Diabetes UK

If you already have cardiovascular disease, target numbers are a little bit tweaked. Although your total cholesterol number should still be less than 200 mg/dl, and your LDL-C, or bad cholesterol should still be less than 100 mg/dl, your HDL-C, or good cholesterol, should be greater than 35 mg/dl, and your triglyceride number should be less than 200 mg/dl. This makes sense, because the good fats being present in your bloodstream will take the bad cholesterol and triglycerides away in the bloodstream to be disposed of via the liver.

My Thoughts On The Connection Of Cholesterol & Diabetes:

Because many people that have type 2 diabetes have high levels of LDL and high triglycerides, these elevated levels are associated with cardiovascular disease. Does high cholesterol cause diabetes? You can manage your diabetes much more efficiently and help lessen your chances of cardiovascular disease too. Supplementsare a great way to lower your sugars. Make sure you testyour sugar! Now go sleepon it because you dont want to be fatigued tomorrow.

Cholesterol And High Blood Pressure

Though high blood pressure appears linked to cholesterol levels, doctors continue to study exactly how. High cholesterol seems to trigger inflammation and the release of certain hormones that causes blood vessels to tighten or âconstrictâ and so raises blood pressure. Doctors call it âendothelial dysfunction, when blood vessels behave this way.

High blood pressure is also linked to heart disease.

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Treating Gout And Diabetes

Patients need to know that both are chronic diseases treatable but not curable so they need to work with their health care providers to ensure they are treating both, says Dr. Bose.

Most patients with gout need to be on a medication that lowers their uric acid levels. And type 2 diabetes management depends on ideal control of body mass through diet and exercise as well as medical management of glucose levels, says Dr. Edgerton.

For gout, that means uric acid-lowering medication like allopurinol or febuxostat. People with type 2 diabetes either take medications to lower their blood sugar levels or to increase insulin production . And its safe to take medications for both conditions, says Dr. Edgerton.

What might get trickier is following exercise and diet recommendations. To improve blood sugar, you need to be more active, but if you have a gout flare or arthritis, that can be tough, says Dr. Edgerton. And a gout-friendly diet doesnt totally overlap with a diabetes-friendly one, he adds.

For example, you might have someone with diabetes being encouraged to kind of do a low-carb or a keto-centric diet. Well, thats not necessarily going to help with the gout, especially if its a high protein diet, which can be more difficult for gout patients.

What In The World Is Red Yeast Rice

Best Diet For High Cholesterol

Weird as it sounds red yeast rice is a fungus that grows on rice. Asian countries use it for a food coloring and a medication. It has become popular in western countries because it tends to stop cholesterol production in the liver. It has sort of a natural form of statin in it, like the statin medications used to lower cholesterol. If you are one of the people that has trouble taking statins due to side effects, or dont want to take them for one reason or another, ask your doctor if red yeast rice might help you lower your cholesterol.

In one study, subjects that got muscular pain while on statins were able to take 1800 mg of red yeast rice twice a day for 24 weeks. The average drop in LDL-C was 35 mg/dl. In China, one study showed a 30 percent reduction in cardiovascular risk with long term use of red yeast rice. In the US, its a supplement so its not FDA regulated. Keep that in mind when taking any supplements in the US.

Always talk with your doctor, and have him or her to check your liver enzymes before starting red yeast rice supplements.

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It Can Result From Diabetes And Diabetes Causes Nerve Damage

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the bloodhigh levels of which can make it difficult for blood to flow freely through arteries in the body. There are two types of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein , which is often referred to as good cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein which is the type that can clog artery walls and put your health at risk.

According to the Mayo Clinic, people with type 2 diabetes have increased triglycerides, decreased HDL cholesterol, and higher LDL cholesterol.

Refined carbohydrates and sugar syrups have been shown to increase LDL and triglycerides and lower the favourable HDL cholesterol levels, says Tricia Pingel, N.M.D., a naturopathic physician in Phoenix, AZ. In addition, these high-sugar diets also induce further cardiovascular disease risk and impair insulin utilization .

Diabetes, meanwhile, can lead to a condition known as peripheral neuropathy. This is a common nerve issue that causes numbness and is often seen in the hands and feet, though it can affect other areas.

What Foods Or Supplements Have Natural Cholesterol Lowering Properties

There are a number of supplements that people use to lower LDL-C and triglycerides. Make sure to talk with your health care provider about which ones are safe for you to try. Some listed are proven to reduce cholesterol, and some have not been proven to lower cholesterol. Its important to have a conversation with your doctor if you decide to start any new supplements.

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Causes Of Eruptive Xanthomatosis

EX is a sign that you have too many fats or lipids in your blood. The extra fats leak out of your blood and collect in your skin.

High fats in your body might be genetic. Being overweight or obese can also cause excess fats in your body and blood.

Several conditions and infections can also lead to more fat in your body. These include:

  • diabetes

Some medications can make your body store more fat, leading to EX. These include:

  • cyclosporine

According to the American Diabetes Association, EX is most common in young men with type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes raises blood sugar levels and stops your body from making or using insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that turns blood sugar into energy. It also helps your body burn fats instead of storing them. This is why people with diabetes or insulin problems are more likely to have high fat content.

EX bumps usually go away in a few weeks to months. Medical treatment and lifestyle changes can address the underlying cause resulting in high fat levels.

Diet And Weight Management

How i reversed my Diabetes and high Cholesterol with Simple and Natural Way!

Lifestyle modifications are the first-line intervention in the management of diabetes dyslipidemia, and include weight loss, dietary modification, and aerobic exercise . Obesity increases insulin resistance and is associated with increased triglycerides and LDL cholesterol and decreased HDL cholesterol . Weight loss is known to be associated with improvements in lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors including the incidence of type 2 diabetes and should therefore be encouraged in overweight patients with diabetes. To achieve sustained weight loss, caloric restriction remains the key and even modest degrees of weight loss are associated with an improvement in glycemic control, HbA1c, and lipid profile .

Increased physical activity may provide some small adjunct to the effect of dietary restriction, but is unlikely to be successful on its own. Reduced fat intake, particularly of saturated fat, should also be encouraged . The American Diabetes Association recommends a diet low in trans fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol . In patients without a marked increase in serum triglycerides but who are not obese, some substitution of saturated fat can be made with unrefined carbohydrate foods and some with oleic, linoleic, or omega-3 fish oils .

Dietary interventions, while considered first-line treatment for all patients with diabetes, have not been successful in demonstrating a mortality benefit, even with prolonged follow-up .

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People Who Have Type 2 Diabetes Are At Significantly Higher Risk Of Developing Heart Disease And The Most Obvious Sign Is High Blood Cholesterol

Diabetic hyperlipidemia sounds a bit intimidating, doesnt it? As we always do here on EndocrineWeb, were going to break down that concept for you, and thats why weve put together this Patients Guide to Treating High Cholesterol in people who have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Diabetic hyperlipidemia is, in fact, having high cholesterol when you have diabetes. The parts of the word hyperlipidemia break into:

  • hyper: high
  • lipid: scientific term referring to fat, cholesterol, and fat-like substances in the body
  • emia: in the blood

So all together, hyperlipidemia means that you have too many lipids, especially cholesterol, in your blood. High cholesterol is dangerous for anyone, but as someone with type 2 diabetes, its particularly important that you get treatment for high cholesterol.

Youre probably aware that diabetes can come with a host of complicationsif you dont take good care of our blood glucose levels and overall health. Cardiovascular complications are common in people with type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol can also harm your cardiovascular health.

Taking care of your high cholesterol will help lower your cardiovascular risk, so in this Patients Guide to Treating High Cholesterol and Diabetes, well be covering:

Aspects Of Cholesterol Problems

In and of itself, cholesterol is not a bad thing: It’s present in every cell in the body and does a lot of goodsupporting the production of hormones, digestion, and converting sunlight into vitamin D. Approximately 75 percent of the cholesterol present in the blood is produced by the liver, but the rest is derived from the diet, which is why making dietary changes is an effective way to keep cholesterol levels healthy.

There are two types of cholesterol:

  • Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is regarded as “bad cholesterol.” It’s the soft, waxy stuff that can accumulate in the bloodstream and interfere with the flow of blood.
  • High-density lipoprotein the so-called “good cholesterol”helps keep blood vessels clear by carrying LDL cholesterol to the liver for disposal.

In addition to cholesterol, the levels of triglycerides in the body are important to heart health and so usually are considered a key aspect of a person’s overall blood cholesterol “profile.”

Cholesterol Level Guidelines for Adults 20 and Older
Type

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Handling High Cholesterol And Diabetes

A combination of the two can be deadly, make no mistake. Just keeping one under control doesnt guarantee a decrease in the other. The good news is that both of these conditions can be kept under control with medication, but particularly by adopting healthy lifestyle habits.

When you have diabetes and high cholesterol, the main focus should be lowering the risk of stroke and heart disease, through steps such as:

  • Keep a close eye on your blood sugar levels, as well as your cholesterol numbers. Stay informed on how low these levels should be in order to not be considered life-threatening and take the tests required as often as the doctor recommends it.
  • A good piece of advice for those who have high cholesterol and diabetes is to balance diet with physical exercise. Try to take a walk after each meal.
  • Whenever you clean the house, pick up the pace so that you can combine some exercising with your house chores.
  • People lose their muscle tone with age, which causes a decrease in health quality. Lifting up things can tone your muscles, and you dont even have to go to the gym for that. This activity can help with your resistance training, and helps keep cholesterol under control.

The First Sign: Insulin Resistance

Int. Diabetes Fed. (@IntDiabetesFed)

High triglycerides don’t cause diabetes. Instead, their levels indicate that your system for turning food into energy isn’t working properly.

Normally, your body makes insulin, which escorts glucose — the type of sugar in your blood –inside your cells. There, your body turns glucose into energy. Insulin also allows your body to use triglycerides for energy.

A common cause of high triglycerides is excess carbohydrates in your diet. High TGs signals insulin resistance thats when the cells that normally respond to insulin are resistant to it. This keeps the insulin from allowing the cells to absorb glucose uptake, requiring higher and higher levels of insulin. This results in higher than normal blood sugar levels.

If you have insulin resistance, youre one step closer to type 2 diabetes.

If you also are overweight, eat a lot of sugary and starchy foods, or dont exercise, your insulin resistance can be worse.

You can reverse your tracks by following the exercise and meal plan your doctor recommends to lower your triglycerides and by taking prescribed medicine.

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Soluble Versus Insoluble Fiber

Foods such as whole wheat bread and whole grain cereal have insoluble fiber. This is great for decreasing constipation, but doesnt do much to lower cholesterol numbers. Fiber found in thinks like oats and oat products, dried peas and beans, such as lentils or chickpeas, barley, flaxseed and nuts, as well a brussel sprouts and prunes, oranges, and apples have something called soluble fiber. This kind of fiber is great to help lower LDL-C or bad cholesterol by piggy backing it out through the gut. In other words, it grabs the bad cholesterol, and moves it on out of the body.

In order to lower LDL-C with soluble fiber foods, you need to be eating between 7 and 13 grams of it in a day. The rest you should get from insoluble fiber, so that you are getting a total of 20-35 grams per day of total fiber. This could get you up to seven percent LDL-C lowering, and a two to three percent total cholesterol reduction. And thats not too shabby, so best to increase fiber in your diet when you have high cholesterol.

What Is Heart Disease

Heart disease includes several kinds of problems that affect your heart. The term cardiovascular disease is similar but includes all types of heart disease, stroke, and blood vessel disease. The most common type is coronary artery disease, which affects blood flow to the heart.

Coronary artery disease is caused by the buildup of plaque in the walls of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply oxygen and blood to the heart. Plaque is made of cholesterol deposits, which make the inside of arteries narrow and decrease blood flow. This process is called atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Decreased blood flow to the heart can cause a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to the brain can cause a stroke.

Hardening of the arteries can happen in other parts of the body too. In the legs and feet, its called peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. PAD is often the first sign that a person with diabetes has cardiovascular disease.

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Cut Down On Foods That Are High In Cholesterol

Reading food labels helps when trying to cut down on foods high in cholesterol. Look for labels that say low cholesterol, or no cholesterol. Look for foods that are low in fat. You can cut down on egg yolks, and eat more egg whites. Cut down on fried foods in general, and things like gravy, biscuits, and other foods known to be high in fat. Bake, grill, or broil meats, and trim excess fat.

Treatment Of Dyslipidemia In Diabetes

How Do High Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Affect Diabetics?

Glycemic control may not always normalize lipid and lipoprotein levels, particularly in type 2 diabetes. Although there is some evidence that glycemic control may affect atherogenesis, trials of intensive glycemic control have not shown a significant reduction in coronary events despite significant decreases in microvascular complications . A number of clinical trials have shown promising results in lowering the risk of coronary artery disease by lipid control. In the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study , simvastatin significantly reduced CHD incidence and total mortality in diabetic subjects with high LDL cholesterol and with previous clinical CHD. In the Cholesterol and Recurrent Events trial, pravastatin reduced CHD incidence significantly in diabetic subjects with average LDL levels and with previous clinical CHD by 27%. In the Helsinki Heart Study, gemfibrozil was found to produce reductions of 8.1% in total cholesterol, 6.5% in LDL, and 30.7% in triglycerides and an increase of 11% in HDL in 135 patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the 68% decrease in CHD risk in the diabetic population did not achieve statistical significance owing to the small number of diabetic patients enrolled .

Table. Summary of drugs available for treatment of dyslipidemia and their mechanism of action

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What Is The Connection Between Ldl

In a person with diabetes, there is a condition called, diabetic dyslipidemia.

It is characterized by a triad that includes:

  • low HDL-C
  • high LDL-C
  • high triglycerides

In research, they have found that there is a link between the insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetes and diabetic dyslipidemia that tends to cause people with Type 2 diabetes to get heart disease or a stroke at a younger age than people without Type 2 diabetes. Due to the size of LDL-C molecules and other factors in people with diabetes, there exists ability for diabetes to effect the lowering of the good cholesterol in the blood, all while promoting an increase in the bad cholesterol. This premature risk is all the more reason to work with your primary care provider to manage cholesterol when you have diabetes. Lifestyle habits likely play a role in the increased risk, with some people developing dyslipidemia prior to a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. Therefore, it is important to manage cholesterol for general health throughout life.

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