Heart attacks warning for diabetics

Diabetics are almost 50 percent more likely to have a heart attack than people who do not suffer from the condition, it was reported here Monday. Between 2010 and 2011, almost 14,500 people with diabetes suffered from a heart attack in England and Wales, according to new data from the National Diabetes Audit. The report, which shows the extent to which people with diabetes are dying earlier and developing more health problems than the rest of the population, states that only 9,800 heart-attack cases were expected. It also suggests that people with diabetes are 65% more likely to have heart failure than the rest of the general population. Patients are also at a greater risk of other potentially fatal conditions like angina, stroke and needing amputations, the report shows. Between 2010 and 2011, 17,900 diabetics suffered from a stroke, 9,800 needed a kidney transplant or dialysis and 1,700 needed a "major amputation", figures show. Diabetics were also at a higher risk of death than people without the condition, the authors wrote. The excess risk is higher among people with Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, which develops when the body cannot produce any insulin, is an autoimmune condition that accounts for 10% of all cases of diabetes. The authors of the report said that the death rate among people with the condition is 135% higher than the general population. People with Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90% of all cases and occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin for it to function properly, have a 36% excess risk, the authors add. Diabetes UK said that the health authorities should focus more on preventing diabetes-related heart disease. The charity said that just 40% of sufferers are achieving the recommended cholesterol levels and one in ten are not receiving an annual cholesterol check. Many patients suffer high blood pressure and high blood glucose levels, a charity spokesman said. Chief executive Barbara Young added, "The finding that people with diabetes are almost 50 percent more likely to have a heart attack is shocking and this is one of the main reasons many thousands of people with the condition are dying before their time". In the UK, there are 3.7 million people with diabetes, including an estimated 850,000 people who have Type 2 diabetes but do not know it.