The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has urged for action to be taken to tackle poor lifestyles and reduce the risks of heart attacks and strokes that are forecasted to grow.
It has long been known that having type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes can increase the risk of complications such as heart attack and stroke. Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise is important whether you have diabetes or not in reducing these risks.
The BHF analysis predicts the number of people suffering heart attacks and strokes due to diabetes to rise by 29% by 2035. The BHF also expects the number of people with diabetes to rise to five million over the next 20 years.
The BHF has called for “bold action” in tackling lifestyle factors such as obesity and poor diet, as well as more research to further understand the connection between diabetes and heart and circulatory diseases.
“Thanks to research we’ve made excellent progress in improving survival rates for heart attacks and strokes,” said CEO Simon Gillespie. “We also need continued research that will enable us to better understand how diabetes leads to these deadly heart and circulatory conditions, and how we can stop it.
“We can only reverse this trend by taking bold action to tackle obesity and inactivity, especially amongst young people. This must include consideration of further regulatory action to reduce sugar and fat content in food, and to curb junk food advertising directed at young children. The food industry is not acting quickly enough to re-formulate its products, despite mounting evidence of their impact on the nation’s health.”
The government’s sugar tax was launched this year in a bid to lower sugar intake, and earlier this summer proposed several measures to halve childhood obesity by 2030.
Dr David Unwin, a leading low carb advocate, spoke at the at the Heart UK Charity Conference in July about the heart benefits of eating a low carb, healthy fat diet, including lower total cholesterol and lower triglyceride levels.
For more information on the benefits of following a low carb lifestyle, visit our Low Carb Program. The program received CE Mark approval this year and can also be recommended on the NHS. It has helped people to come off diabetes medication and even put their type 2 diabetes remission.
