By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

August 1, 2016

• Heart problems could mean you have diabetes
• Do you know your numbers?
• Beat blood sugar problems to avoid heart attack

Did you know that if you suffer a stroke or heart attack, there’s a chance you might have undiagnosed diabetes or hyperglycemia that may have been a factor?The math is pretty simple when you think about it.

You see, diabetics have a two to four time higher chance of experiencing a major cardiovascular event than someone who doesn’t have the disease. Thus, it stands to reason that if you have a stroke or heart attack, there’s also a greater chance you’re diabetic or have blood glucose problems.

But does this “reverse-connection” theory hold water?

Well, we know that it’s not uncommon for patients to become hyperglycemic during the acute phase of a heart attack or stroke. Still, does this actually indicate underlying diabetes? Do these patients really have glucose abnormalities? Or is it a stress response?

These questions hounded researchers across the globe for years. Finally, some of them started tracking short- and long-term diabetic and glucose status in patients admitted to the hospital for a stroke or heart attack.

What did they learn?

Previously undiagnosed diabetes and impaired glucose metabolism are common in patients who suffer major cardiac events. In fact, a stroke or heart attack could even be an early marker of long-standing glucose problems.

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not go through a life-changing health crisis to find out if I have diabetes or not.

So this is a huge wake-up call for anyone with known heart disease to get tested for blood sugar abnormalities.

Even if you haven’t been diagnosed with heart problems, it’s still a good idea to find out if you’re diabetic or pre-diabetic. It could be a real life saver down the road.

Do You Know Your Numbers?

One of the tests I use here at my practice is the “hemoglobin A1C”. Most folks just call it HbA1c, or A1c. It’s a simple blood test that shows your average blood sugar levels over the previous three-four months. We doctors use it as a screening tool for diabetes.

In layman’s terms, the HbA1c counts the number of red blood cells attached to sugar. For example, a result of 6% means that six red blood cells out of every 100 are attached to sugar.

Here’s what your HbA1c levels mean for diabetes risk:

• Normal (no diabetes): Less than 5.7%
• Pre-diabetes: 5.7% to 6.4%
• Diabetes: 6.5% or higher

And by the way… when it comes to your cardiovascular risk, a higher reading places you at a much higher chance of having heart attack or stroke.

If your levels are high, here are a few tips.

Beat Blood Sugar Problems to Avoid a Heart Attack

There’s no doubt that diabetes plays a big role in the development of heart disease. Not only does it increase your risk of heart problems, it also boosts your chances of dying of a fatal heart attack by about 50%.

There’s also no doubt that you don’t want to wait until you suffer a major cardiac event to learn that you have diabetes.

Thankfully, diabetes is one of those conditions that are easily diagnosed. And if you make the right choices, it’s not difficult to bring it under control.

Physical activity and a healthy plant-based diet with low meat and sugar consumption as well as controlled intake of refined carbs (like wheat and rice) are all important. Losing any extra weight you’ve put on over the years is also essential, and easier on a plant based diet….and remember those two slices of whole wheat bread have a glycemic index higher than some candy bars, with white rice a close second.

Weight loss doesn’t just make your body look trim. It also helps remove fat from your internal organs. This includes your pancreas, where insulin is produced. (I just sent out a great summer workout routine that can help you drop some of those excess pounds. Check it out here!)

While I urge you to make healthy choices that can help prevent diabetes – or even put it into remission – I know sometimes a little extra help is needed.

That’s why I always recommend a green coffee bean extract to my diabetic patients.

It contains something called chlorogenic acid. This is compound that’s also found in regular coffee. But the green coffee bean extract contains a concentration that’s about 270% higher.

This is significant, because chlorogenic acid has two very important functions related to blood sugar. First, it blocks the absorption of sugar in your intestine. Second, it stops your liver from producing glucose after a meal.

I recommend 200 mg twice a day before your heaviest meals.

Just one caveat…

If you are on any medications for blood sugar, blood pressure or cholesterol, be sure to work with your physician to monitor your levels if you decide to try green coffee bean extract – and back off the pharmaceuticals as needed.

SOURCES:

Norhammar A. et al. Glucose metabolism in patients with acute myocardial infarction and no previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus: a prospective study. The Lancet. 2002 Jun 22;359(9324):2140-4.

Vancheri F, et al. Impaired glucose metabolism in patients with acute stroke and no previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. QJM. 2005 Dec;98(12):871-8.

Knudsen EC, et al. Abnormal glucose regulation in patients with acute ST- elevation myocardial infarction-a cohort study on 224 patients. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2009 Jan 30;8:6.

Diabetes raises risk of heart attack death by 50 per cent. News Release. University of Leeds. Jun 2016.

Reverse your diabetes – and you can stay diabetes-free long-term. Press Release. Newcastle University. Mar 2016.

Henry-Vitrac C, et al. Contribution of chlorogenic acids to the inhibition of human hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity in vitro by Svetol, a standardized decaffeinated green coffee extract. J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Apr 14;58(7):4141-4.