Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Increase Together

A new study shows that as rates of diabetes have risen in the United States, the proportion of cardiovascular disease (CVD) linked to diabetes mellitus (DM) has also increased.

Researchers from the of the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI; Bethesda, MD, USA) compared risk factors for cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular events such as heart attacks in participants of the Framingham Heart Study from two different time periods. The first group was examined between 1952 and 1974, and the more recent group was examined between 1975 and 1998. A total of 9,540 individuals age 45 to 64 were evaluated. The age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio for DM as a CVD risk factor was 3.0 in the earlier time period and 2.5 in the later time period; the population-attributable risk for DM as a CVD risk factor increased from 5.4% in the earlier time period to 8.7% in the later time period. Most of the increased risk was observed among men. The researchers also reported that the prevalence of diabetes among those with CVD almost doubled between the earlier and later time periods, and there was also an increase in the prevalence of obesity. The study was published in the March 27, 2007, issue of the journal Circulation.

"These findings emphasize the need for increased efforts to prevent diabetes and to aggressively treat and control CVD risk factors among those with diabetes,” said lead author Caroline Fox, M.D.

The Framingham Heart Study is a cardiovascular study based in Framingham (MA, USA). The study began in 1948 with 5,209 adult subjects from Framingham, and is on its third generation of participants at present. Most of the now common knowledge concerning heart disease, such as the effects of diet, exercise, and common medications such as aspirin, are based on this longitudinal study. It is a project of the NHLBI, in collaboration with (since 1971) Boston University (MA, USA).


Related Links:
U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Boston University