Tips to fight back against heart disease

You don't have to accept an unfortunate fate. These tips will give you the tools to fight heart disease before it starts.

• The number of people diagnosed with diabetes — a risk factor for cardiovascular disease — is growing at an unprecedented rate. Experts link the increase to obesity.
• Between 1980 and 2007, the number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes increased 136 per cent.
• In 2007, about six per cent of the population had been diagnosed with the disease. Also, an estimated nine million Canadians have diabetes or prediabetes; Canadian health-care costs are expected to hit or exceed $16.9 billion a year by 2030.
• In addition, millions more may have the condition and not know it. The bad news is that people with diabetes are up to eight times more likely than non-diabetics to die from cardiovascular disease.

• There are two main types of diabetes mellitus: Type 1, which typically develops in childhood, and Type 2, which is by far the most common and largely responsible for the current explosion of diabetes cases.
• Both involve the action of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, which promotes the uptake of glucose (sugar) — the body's main source of energy — into cells.
• Any upset in this function can lead to abnormally high levels of glucose in the blood, which causes problems and defects in various parts of the body.

  Differences:

• While Type 1 is caused by the loss of insulin-producing cells and requires lifelong insulin treatment, Type 2, which tends to develop later in life — but is now being seen younger and younger — occurs either because the body isn't making sufficient insulin, or because cells have become resistant to its effects (insulin resistance).
• That means the body can't metabolize glucose properly (glucose intolerance).
• As a result, a dangerous vicious circle develops: Blood glucose levels rise and the body produces more insulin to lower them but, because the cells aren't responding properly, glucose continues to build up in the blood and the demand for insulin increases.

• Cardiovascular disease is complicated, and there is a multitude of interlinked elements that may affect an individual's risk.
• Far too often, cardiovascular disease is diagnosed only after someone has experienced a heart attack or stroke.
• The plain fact is that you may have atherosclerosis and not know it. That is why it is so important to be aware of the risk factors and to take action before a dramatic event occurs.

• Your first line of defense against heart attacks and strokes is to identify your own personal risk factors and to develop a strategy to counteract them.
• The next step is to carry the strategy through.
• Making some small but crucial changes is not particularly difficult.
• The more you understand about atherosclerosis — from the moment when plaque gets deposited in your arteries to the complex conditions that underlie cardiovascular disease — the better your chances of finding ways to prevent, halt or even reverse it.
• Some damage can frequently be averted by adjusting your lifestyle in relatively small and easy ways that can make a huge difference to your health.