Taking A Hard-Line Approach To Cardiovascular Risks In The Diabetes Patient

Main Category: Diabetes
Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology;  Endocrinology
Article Date: 19 May 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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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.

About AACE

AACE is a professional medical organization with more than 6,200 members in the United States and 92 other countries. Founded in 1991, AACE is dedicated to the optimal care of patients with endocrine problems. AACE initiatives inform the public about endocrine disorders. AACE also conducts continuing education programs for clinical endocrinologists, physicians whose advanced, specialized training enables them to be experts in the care of endocrine disease such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, growth hormone deficiency, osteoporosis, cholesterol disorders, hypertension and obesity.

Source: American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists

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