Heart failure rate high in diabetics

The incidence of congestive heart failure in patients with type-2 diabetes may be significantly higher than previously estimated, according to a new study.The findings are based on a review of medical records and 6-year follow-up of more than 8,000 patients with type 2 diabetes and a similar number non-diabetic matched "control" subjects, conducted by researchers from the Kaiser Permanente in Portland, Oregon. Among those with diabetes, the incidence rate of heart failure was equivalent to 30.9 case per 1,000 persons per year, 2.5 times higher than the rate among non-diabetic controls. Previous estimates of heart failure incidence in diabetic patients range from between 2 and 10 cases per 1,000 persons per year. But these were based on smaller samples, shorter follow-up, or cases requiring hospitalization.
Analysis of the data showed that age, coronary heart disease, poorer control of glucose levels, and greater body weight were "important predictors" of the development of heart failure. This study indicates that more people with type 2 diabetes are developing heart failure than previously thought, and highlights the importance of controlling risk factors for CHF such as obesity and high blood sugar levels.

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