Heart Attack

[ChrisH55]

Hi
I'm new to this forum but have been type I diabetic for 27 years. I am 62. I'm just starting to panic that I may die suddenly from a heart attack. I have no complications so far!
I know of 3 people who have done this. I know one was a smoker, 1 was not managing their diabetes very well don't know about the other. I was speaking to someone who did not know I was diabetic and their comment was 'that's what happens to diabetics'!
I do try and keep my blood sugars under control. Last HbA1c 54. I'm not over weight, exercise regularly, my blood pressure is OK and do not smoke.
I did the DAFNE course a couple of years ago so match my insulin to my carbs. Last night though I was 13 .5 on going to bed so took a unit of insulin (I am quite sensitive to insulin and take small doses) at 4am I was still 13 so injected 1 unit more then woke at 7.30 my blood sugar was still 10? I had been in normal range all of yesterday. I take lanctus as my long acting insulin and Humalog as my fast acting.
This worries me. I only see the practice nurse at my GP one a year. who thinks I'm doing fine.

 

[TorqPenderloin]

To summarize what you just wrong:
So you have three friends that died from a heart attack and also happened to have diabetes? Unfortunately, at 62 years old I'd say that's pretty normal.

Somebody told you that diabetics die from heart attacks? Was this a doctor? A scientist? Someone in the medical field? I had somebody wonder if I have Type 1 diabetes because I ate too many cheeseburgers...that doesn't make it true.

While you have valid concerns, you seem to be basing them off of anecdotal evidence and hearsay. The fact of the matter is that UNCONTROLLED diabetes puts you at a much higher risk for heart disease just like smoking does (a combination of the two is exponentially higher).

Again, these are valid concerns but EVERYONE needs to be concerned about heart disease. Here in the USA, it's the number one cause of premature death.

If it were me, I'd consider seeing your practice nurse more frequently than once a year. If nothing else, it might put your mind a bit more at ease.

 

[noblehead]

I am 62. I'm just starting to panic that I may die suddenly from a heart attack. I have no complications so far!

We all think about our own mortality the older we get but it's not something that should pre-occupy our mind 24/7, if you find it is then you should seek help & support to deal with your health anxiety @ChrisH55

As people with a life-long condition like type 1 all we can do is control our diabetes, keep our bp and cholesterol in check and eat a healthy diet, exercising regularly is important too as is taking time out to enjoy the good things in life, so don't worry and focus on more positive thoughts. Best wishes.

 

[Tony337]

Hi Chris
Type 1 of 42 years here and 48 years old.
From time to time i go a bit insulin resistant and it won't come down.
Like you i am usually pretty sensitive to insulin and exercise.
But despite my best efforts it happens and i can't work out how or why.
It rights itself and therefor i don't worry unduly.
If you've done 27 years without it happening then well done you.

Obviously if it carries on seek medical help.

Do you remember Blakes 7 ?
Late 70s sci-fi bbc1?
One of the main characters called Vila states....

"I'm going to live forever" a long pause then "or at least die trying"

I do hope that doesn't sound frivolous Chris its just i quote that to myself when i'm feeling a bit not quite and it makes me smile.

Good luck and do keep us posted

Tony

 

[Brunneria]

That the older we get, the more we seem to encounter age and ill health around us. Which is perfectly normal - and it is also perfectly normal that it begins to make us think about our own health, and our own circumstances. It is certainly making me very much more aware!

Why not make an appt with your practice nurse or doc, and discuss your concerns. If you are experiencing health anxiety, it is far better to see someone about it, rather than feeling worried and anxious.

Please let us know how you get on?

 

[catapillar]

Last night though I was 13 .5 on going to bed so took a unit of insulin (I am quite sensitive to insulin and take small doses) at 4am I was still 13 so injected 1 unit more then woke at 7.30 my blood sugar was still 10?

Had you definitely taken your basal last night? Everyone can forget a shot at some point and no basal might explain why your corrections didn't have much impact. The other thing that could explain it would be a pizza effect type meal, if you'd eaten carbs that were only going to start acting to raise blood sugar hours after eating your correction would really need to have been a bolus for those carbs. It might also be worth checking that you hadn't left your pens in the sun or in a hot car for ages yesterday and the insulin in them is still valid and working.

 

[Mep]

I also deal with anxiety because of my health. I didn't have it prior to bad health. So I understand you well in your thinking as it is something that concerns you. I'm currently seeing a clinical psychologist to treat my depression and anxiety. It's only recently I realised how my anxiety manifests as I always just thought depression was more the issue for me. What happens with me is every time my symptoms flare up to the point my body is stressing I find myself thinking about being in ambulances and hospitals... there is my anxiety right there. The tough one is I have wound up in ambulances and hospitals in the past... so tricky to deal with a real concern I suppose. But as others are saying you can only focus on doing the best you can and try not to think of the negatives.... I know easier said than done. I have diabetes, hypertension, etc.... all put me at higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. I try my best to just soldier on. At least know you're not alone with the anxiety.... it's definitely real and needs to be dealt with.... a work in progress. My clinical psych has been giving me various exercises to do.... a good one is a grounding exercise when you feel your emotions are heightened (eg. you're worried about having a heart attack).... that is you do "I see", "I hear", "I feel" starting at 5 things that you can see, 5 things you can hear, 5 things you can feel (eg. I feel my feet on the floor) and work your way down each round 4, 3. 2. 1 things. This just helps calm your emotions and brings you back down to reality. It works really well for me, when I remember to do it. I wish you the best.

 

[fletchweb]

Hi
I'm new to this forum but have been type I diabetic for 27 years. I am 62. I'm just starting to panic that I may die suddenly from a heart attack. I have no complications so far!
I know of 3 people who have done this. I know one was a smoker, 1 was not managing their diabetes very well don't know about the other. I was speaking to someone who did not know I was diabetic and their comment was 'that's what happens to diabetics'!
I do try and keep my blood sugars under control. Last HbA1c 54. I'm not over weight, exercise regularly, my blood pressure is OK and do not smoke.
I did the DAFNE course a couple of years ago so match my insulin to my carbs. Last night though I was 13 .5 on going to bed so took a unit of insulin (I am quite sensitive to insulin and take small doses) at 4am I was still 13 so injected 1 unit more then woke at 7.30 my blood sugar was still 10? I had been in normal range all of yesterday. I take lanctus as my long acting insulin and Humalog as my fast acting.
This worries me. I only see the practice nurse at my GP one a year. who thinks I'm doing fine.

When I see my doctor he orders a EKG - I always ask why and his reply is - "Living with diabetes for as long as you have is equivalent of someone who has already survived one heart attack."

Yes I have a doctor who tries to scare people in to submission, his model of sound health (pharmaceutical crazy) and it usually does nothing more than really **** me off - it's unfortunate that in the process he has probably turned many of his patients in to neurotic basket cases waiting for some kind of debilitating complication to transpire - as a result I limit my exposure to this guy. He's not good for my mental health. I've been living with type 1 for more than 50 years - I think I know what I'm doing and the only time I worry about complications is after seeing the guy. Oh and my EKG is always good

In my opinion health officials in general tend to focus on all the potential complications of living with diabetes and less focus about just trying to live as healthy a lifestyle that one can regardless of the type of diabetes one has. I really think mental health plays a big influence on ones physical health and yet many health professionals completely ignore that..

So I would suggest - try not dwelling on your heart too much (easier said than done) . To keep things in perspective you probably stand less of a chance of an heart attack than many non - diabetics who smoke, drink too much, eat too much, don;t exercise and are in high stress jobs (a good percentage of the population probably fall in that category). Secondly - complications are often promoted in diabetes fundraising literature as the spin for encouraging donations, further promoting the misconception of many that if you have diabetes, terrible things will happen to you.

On that note, All the best!

 

[Mbaker]

Hi @ChrisH55, of course the risk factors are increased with diabetes, the trick is to swing the statistics in your favour. If you are a smoker, this should be stopped without procrastination. Diet is also vital as plaque build up in the arteries is what you want to avoid; the pendulum has swung towards carbs being the culprit for the fatty deposits which are dangerous (as opposed to saturated fat), so you might want to be selective about the amount and quality of your intake. Oily fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil are good for the heart and maybe apart from olive oil (for some, but not me) are widely accepted as good for you. Limit alcohol and . If you can exercise this will swing the stats in your favour and help to reduce the silent blood pressure assassin. I agree with the guidelines for 30 minutes a day as minimum where possible of pulse raising exercise. The other thing is to ensure that try to keep your weight in check. you are happy, stress and lack of sleep is a significant risk factor, so you might want to take more time with meditation / mindfulness.

Basically heart attack preventative measures are all of the measures required within a good diabetic regime.

 

[ChrisH55]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I really appreciate the time you have all taken to reply. It's good to know that there are people out there that I can get support from and are more knowledgeable than me.

 

[Art Of Flowers]

Life expectancy for diabetics s roughly 10 less for type 2 and 20 years less for type 1. The chances of dying from heart disease and cancer are a lot higher than average if you are diabetic. If you keep your blood sugars under good control then you can expect to live a lot longer.

There are huge benefits from intermittent fasting which can help you live a lot longer. During fasting the body goes into repair mode including regenerating brain cells. Fasting help reduce the hormone IGF-1 which is an indicator of the high risk of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's.

 

[ChrisH55]

Thanks Art Of Flowers
How does the mortality of 10 and 20 years correlate to the age that you become diabetic? I am type one and became diabetic at 35. My neighbour became diabetic at 18 and a work colleague's daughter at 4. This statistic of 20 years - how much consideration does it take into the age of becoming diabetic, and control of diabetes? Or is it a general statement taking none of these factors into account?

 

[Art Of Flowers]

Thanks Art Of Flowers
How does the mortality of 10 and 20 years correlate to the age that you become diabetic? I am type one and became diabetic at 35. My neighbour became diabetic at 18 and a work colleague's daughter at 4. This statistic of 20 years - how much consideration does it take into the age of becoming diabetic, and control of diabetes? Or is it a general statement taking none of these factors into account?

These figures come from the information pages on this website ... http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-life-expectancy.html There is a video on that page which gives more details.

Type 2 diabetics are usually diagnosed later in life than type 1, so have fewer years experiencing high blood sugar levels. Hence type 2 life expectancy is higher than type 1. If you keep blood sugars well regulated then you can expect to live much longer than those stats indicate.

If you really want to live longer and reduce your risk of getting a heart attack, then take a look at this video made by Dr Michael Mosley for the BBC ...