Type 2 diabetes independently increases the risk of heart disease in premenopausal women, according to a study presented by an Argentinian research group at the American Heart Association High Blood Pressure Research Scientific Sessions 2013. The researchers studied 1,256 Argentine premenopausal and menopausal women with and without type 2 diabetes,.The women underwent ultrasound imaging to measure plaque in their carotid arteries. Regardless of age, family history, smoking history, presence of high blood pressure or menopausal status, it was found that plaque buildup was more common among the 293 women with type 2 diabetes compared with the 963 who didn’t have diabetes”.To reduce the risk of heart attacks, we recommend screening women with type 2 diabetes at younger ages, even if they don’t have other known risk for heart disease,” said Dr Nestor Garcia, from Blossom DMO, Cordoba, Argentina and from CONICET, an Argentine government agency in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the Western world. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease.
http://tinyurl.com/AHA-blood-pressure-paper