A hard-line approach to cardiovascular risks in diabetes

May 18 2009

When treating the diabetes patient, doctors discussed how a "one size fits all" approach to testing is not enough to reveal an individual's risk for cardiovascular disease Saturday at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 18th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress.

"We need to be more aggressive in treating our patients," Howard S. Weintraub, MD, a cardiologist and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at NYU Medical School, said. "This requires individualized testing and early intervention."

Weintraub suggested that while gathering a patient's blood sugar data is important, assessing their results on an individual basis is crucial. Doing so may help to proactively identify the "constellation of issues" present in many patients.

This means placing more emphasis on the "diabetic state." By assessing factors like high blood pressure, bad cholesterol (LDL), blood sugar, triglycerides and weight, doctors can better predict the multiple cardiovascular risks likely to prey upon a patient.

"It's the physician's job to interpret all the risk factors and see the big picture," Weintraub said. "And appropriate action should be taken before it's too late."

For more information about preventive health measures and diabetes, download the American College of Endocrinology's (ACE) "Power of Prevention(R)" magazine here. The magazine features medical information on type 1 and type 2 diabetes, diabetes complications, and tips on how diabetes patients can best prepare for disaster.

ACE also issued a comprehensive treatment regimen for patients with prediabetes; a condition affecting more than 56 million Americans, which leaves them at risk for developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications.