Field Notes

Diabetes May Increase Complications, Death in Heart Failure Patients

Type 2 diabetes affects the structure of the heart in heart failure patients and increases their risk of repeat hospitalizations and/or death, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the open access journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

Type 2 diabetes frequently coexists with heart failure, and the prevalence of diabetes has increased worldwide. While diabetes and heart failure together have been extensively studied among Western populations, less is known about their collective impact among Asian populations. An international team of researchers analyzed data from more than nearly 6,200 heart failure patients participating in the ASIAN-HF Study.

The study found that having type 2 diabetes and heart failure was associated with the following:

• structural abnormalities in the heart;
• poorer quality of life; and
• increased risk of heart failure–related rehospitalizations and/or death within one year.

Researchers also noted that the overall prevalence of type 2 diabetes was high among these heart failure patients, with more than 40% having diabetes. The prevalence was highest in Singapore and Hong Kong.  

“Primary prevention strategies and tailored treatment options are needed to tackle this twin scourge of diseases,” says study coauthor Jonathan Yap, MBBS, MPH, a consultant from the department of cardiology of the National Heart Centre Singapore. “Our findings emphasize the need for preventive public health measures at the community and primary care level. For heart failure patients who have diabetes, physicians should closely monitor and optimize their management.”

— Source: American Heart Association

 

Flavonoids May Reduce Cancer, Heart Disease Risk

Consuming flavonoid-rich items such as apples and tea protects against cancer and heart disease, particularly for smokers and heavy drinkers, according to new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Western Australia.

Researchers from ECU’s School of Medical and Health Sciences analyzed data from the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health cohort, which assessed the diets of 53,048 Danes over 23 years.

They found that people who habitually consumed moderate to high amounts of foods rich in flavonoids were less likely to die from cancer or heart disease.

Lead researcher Nicola Bondonno, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at ECU, says that while the study found a lower risk of death in those who ate flavonoid-rich foods, the protective effect appeared to be strongest for those at high risk of chronic diseases due to cigarette smoking and in those who drank more than two standard alcoholic drinks per day.

“These findings are important, as they highlight the potential to prevent cancer and heart disease by encouraging the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods, particularly in people at high risk of these chronic diseases,” Bondonno says.

“But it’s also important to note that flavonoid consumption does not counteract all of the increased risk of death caused by smoking and high alcohol consumption. By far the best thing to do for your health is to quit smoking and cut down on alcohol.

“We know these kind of lifestyle changes can be very challenging, so encouraging flavonoid consumption might be a novel way to alleviate the increased risk, while also encouraging people to quit smoking and reduce their alcohol intake,” Bondonno says.

Participants consuming about 500 mg of total flavonoids each day had the lowest risk of cancer- or heart disease–related death.

“It’s important to consume a variety of different flavonoid compounds found in different plant-based food and drink. This is easily achievable through the diet: one cup of tea, one apple, one orange, 100 g of blueberries, and 100 g of broccoli would provide a wide range of flavonoid compounds and over 500 mg of total flavonoids,” Bondonno says.

Bondonno says that while the research had established an association between flavonoid consumption and lower risk of death, the exact nature of the protective effect was unclear but likely to be multifaceted.

“Alcohol consumption and smoking both increase inflammation and damage blood vessels, which can increase the risk of a range of diseases,” she says.

“Flavonoids have been shown to be anti-inflammatory and improve blood vessel function, which may explain why they are associated with a lower risk of death from heart disease and cancer.”

Bondonno says the next step for the research was to look more closely at which types of heart disease and cancers were most protected against by flavonoids.

— Source: Edith Cowan University