Diabetes Poses Serious Heart Failure Risk

A new study, reported on-line in theSeptember 7, 2004, issue of Circulation,found that postmenopausal womenwith diabetes and coronary heart diseaseare 3 times more likely to developheart failure. Because research hasshown that heart failure is a disease ofmen, the researchers wanted to explorethe risk factors for heart failurein women with coronary disease. Inthe current study, the researchers studieddata from 2391 postmenopausalwomen who were followed for about 6years.

The 9 indicators of heart failurewere diabetes, atrial fibrillation, heartattack, impaired kidney function, highblood pressure, current smoking, obesity,conduction disturbances, andleft-sided heart enlargement. The dataproved that the presence of diabetestripled the risk of heart failure. Specifically,the annual rate of heart failurein women who also were obese was8%. Women with diabetes and kidneyimpairment had a 13% risk of heartfailure.