
Diabetes sufferers have new hope with a drug called Jardiance, but there are other more fundamental things they can do in the meantime to protect themselves.
We recently reported on a new drug called Jardiance that made diabetes patients 35 percent less likely to get hospitalized for heart failures, as well as 32 percent less likely to die, but there may be many out there who don’t realize just how much risk diabetes face due to heart failure, and how few options there are to fight the disease.
Scientists are hailing the Jardiance drug after a clinic trial showed that diabetes patients who took it were 38 percent less likely to die from a heart attack or stroke compared to a placebo, with many hailing it as a potential miracle drug. But one thing it shows is just what kind of risks those who have diabetes face when it comes to heart problems.
Jardiance is actually one of the first drugs to show some promise. But the excitement of scientists is underscored by the fact that there have been so many disappointing drugs before, and diabetes don’t have many options other than a strict diet and exercise, which may not be enough.
Diabetes is hugely damaging to blood vessels, doubling the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients, with about 75 percent of all deaths coming from coronary artery disease. It can result in stroke, and peripheral vascular disease as well.
Diabetes damages the small blood vessels, and can wreak havoc on the eyes, kidneys, and nerves. It can even affect the eyes, causing something called diabetic retinopathy, when the blood vessels in the retina of the eye are damaged, which often results in blindness.
But the main concern for diabetes is cardiovascular disease that can result in death, particularly heart failure.
As it stands, there is not yet any preventive measure for type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can be dealt with by maintaining a normal body weight and getting plenty of exercise. But as of today, there isn’t yet a drug out there that will fix what is a very vexing problem for a large portion of Americans.
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