Diabetes and Cholesterol Improvements

Amidst all the news that we’re getting fatter as a nation and are killing ourselves with diets, come two glimmers of hope in the form of medical studies that maybe we’re doing a little better with regards to cholesterol and diabetes complications. According to researchers, cholesterol levels among older adults are falling. And, the likelihood of kidney disease among diabetics is lower than previously thought. It’s all good news in an environment when there is much concern about cardiovascular disease, cholesterol and diabetes complications.

"I watch everything I eat. I’m down to twelve carbs a day. I don’t have pasta, I don’t have potatoes and I don’t have rice." Ellen Felber is trying to win the battle against diabetes. It appears, many are, at least with regard to one aspect.

According to new research in the latest Journal of the American Medical Association, the frequency of end-stage kidney disease is lower in Type 1, or juvenile diabetics, than previously estimated. Diabetes is the most important cause of end-stage kidney disease, which requires dialysis, a procedure where a person is put on a machine to cleanse the blood of toxins, taking over the responsibilities of the failed kidneys.

Dr. Harvey Katzeff, Chief of Endocrinology at North Shore/LIJ Health System, says, "Almost half the people who are on dialysis have diabetes as its cause. We now understand we can prevent this from happening by intervening much earlier in the disease process. We now have medications to try to prevent diabetic kidney disease and prevent its complications." That includes blood pressure medicines that prevent kidney failure. And, even if people do end up on dialysis, they are doing better and living longer.

"We have now found that our patients live much longer, even ten or twenty years on dialysis, when before they might pass away much earlier. The technology of dialysis itself has improved dramatically. The machines used to purify waste from the body do it more efficiently and do it much better," says Dr. Katzeff.

And there’s more good news: another study shows that overall, cholesterol levels are dropping among older Americans, which will lessen cardiovascular disease, especially among those with diabetes and kidney disease. "It’s a very exciting thought that what we’re doing is actually making a difference. Cholesterol plays a role in all patients with diabetes. Unfortunately, if you’re a diabetic, for any given level of cholesterol, your risk of heart attack is much higher than the general population. So even lowering the cholesterol ten or twenty points, produces a significant reduction in risk in heart disease," Dr. Katzeff states.

Ellen is doing all she can to keep her sugar, her cholesterol and her blood pressure in line. "When my numbers are good I’m very happy. When my numbers are not good, I’m not a happy camper." Patients with end stage kidney disease had 13 times the risk of death compared with other patients with Type 1 diabetes. So it is a killer, and succeeding in preventing this complication can mean many more years of life, and a quality life at that.