Research Paper on Heart Disease and Diabetes

Introduction

Heart disease is a range of conditions that affect how the heart functions. Diseases such as Coronary artery disease, High blood pressure, and cardiac arrest make up heart diseases. Diabetes is a disease where an individual has high or low blood glucose due to either inadequate insulin production or when body cells do not respond well to insulin. There is a correlation between heart disease and diabetes in treatment, prevention and management.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Coronary artery disease is a condition caused by atherosclerosis of the arteries, which leads to blockage of the flow of the blood to the heart. The disease develops when arteries carrying blood to the heart are damaged. Cholesterol that contains plaque in the arteries has been known to cause the disease (Eckel, et al. 2014). High blood pressure, on the other hand, is a condition that contributes to a heart attack. It is a state where there is a high force of blood moving against the arteries' walls causing problems to the heart such as heart disease. Finally there cardiac arrest, which is unexpected, heart loss of heart functionality. Cardiac arrest is usually sudden and results from a sudden disturbance in the heart that disrupts the pumping of blood. When cardiac arrest occurs, the blood stops flowing to the rest of the body causing a problem in all body.

Diabetes affects how a person's body uses glucose (sugar). Glucose is important in the body functionality as it is the source of energy for cells. The diabetes disease has two different types of condition: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes (MSD Manual Professional Edition, n.d.). Type 1 diabetes occurs in a situation where the body is not able to produce insulin, which is, is a hormone required to allow glucose to penetrate the cells to produce energy. Many factors contribute to this condition including viruses and genetics. Type 1 diabetes has no cure, and its cure is dependent on managing sugar levels in the blood with insulin and lifestyle to prevent complications. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that hinders how the body metabolizes sugar, which is a source of body fuel. The body resists the effects of insulin, or it cannot produce enough insulin to control the normal glucose level in the body. Type 2 diabetes is the common one that is reported worldwide

As stated earlier, heart disease and diabetes correlate and an individual having diabetes has a likelihood of developing heart disease. The conditions that arise from diabetes increases the chances of developing heart diseases such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol that causes Coronary artery disease (www.heart.org, 2015). When an individual has a diabetic condition and engages in habits such as smoking cigarette, they are at high risk of developing heart disease. Smoking narrows blood vessels causing coronary diseases and high blood pressure (Huo et al.2016) Abnormal cholesterol levels in the body can cause heart disease. High levels of Cholesterol can build up and cause blockage of blood vessels leading to heart disease. Bad eating habits such as frequent use of junk food can lead to obesity, which can affect the ability to manage diabetes condition increasing the chances of developing heart diseases (Mokdad et al., 2001)

Heart Disease and Diabetes are preventable and treatable. Despite type 1 diabetes having no known cure but it can be managed by the regular injection of insulin, having regular exercise and taking the special diet (Medical News Today, 2017). There is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can be treated using of diabetes tablets and carrying out insulin therapy. Eating well, having regular exercise to maintain a healthy weight can manage the type 2 diabetes. The same lifestyle habits such regular exercise can help treat heart diseases and can help prevent it from developing. Living a healthy lifestyle, such as eating special diet food, can help to keep blood vessels strong and avoid heart diseases. There are drugs such as aspirin and Beta-blockers that can be prescribed for the treatment of heart diseases depending on the condition.

Conclusion

Having regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight has been known to manage Heart Disease and Diabetes. Problems such as obesity that develops when an individual has Heart Disease and Diabetes should be controlled by engaging in exercise and having a special diet. When an individual is diagnosed with diabetes of any type, they should have frequent sugar monitoring program. Individuals should quit smoking and reduce stress as well as eating healthy food to avoid heart diseases.

References

Eckel, R. H., Jakicic, J. M., Ard, J. D., De Jesus, J. M., Miller, N. H., Hubbard, V. S., ... & Nonas, C. A. (2014). 2013 AHA/ACC guideline on lifestyle management to reduce cardiovascular risk: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 63(25 Part B), 2960-2984.

MSD Manual Professional Edition. (n.d.). Diabetes Mellitus (DM) - Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders - MSD Manual Professional Edition. [online] Available at: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine-and-metabolic-disorders/diabetes-mellitus-and-disorders-of-carbohydrate-metabolism/diabetes-mellitus-dm [Accessed 24 Oct. 2018].

Mokdad, A. H., Bowman, B. A., Ford, E. S., Vinicor, F., Marks, J. S., & Koplan, J. P. (2001). The continuing epidemics of obesity and diabetes in the United States. Jama, 286(10), 1195-1200.

Huo, X., Gao, L., Guo, L., Xu, W., Wang, W., Zhi, X., ... & Li, W. (2016). Risk of non-fatal cardiovascular diseases in early-onset versus late-onset type 2 diabetes in China: a cross-sectional study. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 4(2), 115-124.

www.heart.org. (2015). Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes. [online] Available at: http://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/diabetes/why-diabetes-matters/cardiovascular-disease--diabetes [Accessed 24 Oct. 2018].

Medical News Today. (2017). Diabetes: Symptoms, causes, and treatments. [online] Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/diabetes [Accessed 24 Oct. 2018].