HHS HealthBeat (June 17, 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 – and possibly heart attacks and strokes.

But these are not the only problems.

Researcher 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.

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

“Insulin resistance, even before the development of diabetes, is important and we have to work hard to improve our diet, and increasing physical activity.’’ (9 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, 16 2008