Type 2 diabetes is a chronic
metabolic disease caused by a lack of insulin (the hormone that helps get sugar
out of your blood and into your cells) or a resistance to insulin leading to
rise in blood glucose (sugar) levels. High glucose levels, over a period of
time can damage you body, by affecting the various vital organs like your heart
and how efficiently it beats. Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) is a common heart
condition that results in an arrhythmia (an abnormal heart rhythm). Atrial
fibrillation is the most common sustained arrhythmia with 2.7 and 6.1 million
people in the United States having this condition. Some of the risk factors of
AFib include age, obesity, hypertension, valvular heart disease, heart failure
(HF), and obstructive sleep apnea. Some studies have reported diabetes mellitus
(DM) to be an independent risk factor for AFib.
Your heart rhythm in Atrial Fibrillation:
It is the electrical impulses
that pass through the walls of the four chambers of the heart that controls our
heart rhythm. In a normal situation, an electrical impulse originates in one
area of the atria (the upper two chambers) to trigger the muscles to push the
blood along. However with atrial fibrillation, the electrical impulses are
prompted from more than one area, leading to disorganized impulses going
through the heart. This irregular heartbeat increases your risk for a stroke or
heart failure, as this rapid heartbeat doesn’t allow your heart to pump
effectively.
Impact of diabetes on your heart:
Heart disease is the number
one killer of both men and women in the United States. The major risk factors
are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes- type 2 diabetes in
particular, and other conditions like atrial fibrillation. Your risk for heart
disease will go up if you leave diabetes unchecked or untreated. Also, having
diabetes can increase your risk of AFib by up to 40 percent. Again, the longer
you live with the condition (diabetes), the higher it goes.
Doctors exactly aren’t sure
about the reason why diabetes is such a vital risk factor for AFib. They
suggest it might be due to risk factors for AFib that are common to diabetes,
such as high blood pressure, obesity, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the
arteries). Another theory suggests inflammation and swelling caused by diabetes
that may as well cause AFib. Another popular theory goes like that the
fluctuating blood sugar levels may damage the myocardium (heart muscle tissue),
which may cause changes in the heart’s electrical system in a way that isn’t
completely understandable.
Link between Diabetes and AFib:
Diabetes doesn’t just increase
your risk of developing AFib, it also can worsen it. If you have both diabetes
and AFib, your symptoms may be worse than that of someone who just has AFib.
Common symptoms of atrial fibrillation include
1.
Palpitations
2.
Weakness or
fatigue (feeling tired all the time)
3.
Shortness
of breath
4.
Confusion
5.
Lightheadedness
or dizziness
6.
Chest pain
The symptoms of AFib can be
periodic (infrequent), at the same time can also be persistent, lasting over a
long time. You may as well have permanent AFib, which means your heart rhythm
is permanently abnormal, for which you need to seek help right away to restore
a normal heart rhythm.
Living with AFib:
You’ll most probably have to
see a cardiologist for testing if you are experiencing AFib symptoms. If your
symptoms are infrequent and are not affecting your life in any way, and you are
devoid of any other signs of heart disease, your cardiologist will keep you
under his watchful eyes where you’ll be monitored and watched for any signs of
worsening. If you don’t show any signs of AFib, still your diabetes team will
watch over you for problems associated with your heart, so if any problems are
detected, those will be easier to treat because of early detection.
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