Daily HealthBeat Tip - June 30, 2008

Blood sugar, heart attacks, and strokes

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Insulin tells cells to soak up sugar from the blood stream. When cells resist insulin, high blood sugar levels build up. So insulin resistance can lead to obesity and diabetes. But these are not the only problems.

Reena Pande of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston says people with insulin resistance often have peripheral arterial disease – blockages in the blood vessels to the legs.

She found people with the highest levels of insulin resistance had twice as much trouble with blood circulation.

“Proper eating habits and physical activity are key in reducing the risk of developing insulin resistance, obesity, and the downstream complications.” (10 seconds)

The study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: June, 30 2008