High-salt diet doubles threat of cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes

Poorly controlled blood sugar also contributes to increased risk

2014-07-22

(Press-News.org) Washington, DC -- People with Type 2 diabetes who eat a diet high in salt face twice the risk of developing cardiovascular disease as those who consume less sodium, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Diabetes occurs when there is too much sugar in the bloodstream. People develop Type 2 diabetes when their bodies become resistant to the hormone insulin, which carries sugar from the blood to cells.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 29.1 million Americans have some form of diabetes. This population is at risk for heart disease. Between 2003 and 2006, cardiovascular disease death rates were about 1.7 times higher among adults diagnosed with diabetes than those who were not, according to the CDC's 2014 National Diabetes Statistics Report.

"The study's findings provide clear scientific evidence supporting low-sodium diets to reduce the rate of heart disease among people with diabetes," said the study's first author, Chika Horikawa, RD, MSc, CDE, of the University of Niigata Prefecture in Niigata, Japan. "Although many guidelines recommend people with diabetes reduce their salt intake to lower the risk of complications, this study is among the first large longitudinal studies to demonstrate the benefits of a low-sodium diet in this population."

The nationwide cohort study surveyed participants in the Japan Diabetes Complications Study who were between the ages of 40 and 70 and had been diagnosed with diabetes. Participants were identified at 59 outpatient centers and universities across Japan. In all, 1,588 people responded to a survey about their diets, including sodium intake. The researchers reviewed data on cardiovascular complications participants experienced over the course of eight years.

Researchers divided the participants into four groups based on their sodium intake. The analysis found people who ate an average of 5.9 grams of sodium daily had double the risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those who ate, on average, 2.8 grams of sodium daily. The effects of a high-sodium diet were exacerbated by poor blood sugar control.

"To reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, it is important for people who have Type 2 diabetes to improve their blood sugar control as well as watch their diet," Horikawa said. "Our findings demonstrate that restricting salt in the diet could help prevent dangerous complications from diabetes."

INFORMATION: Other authors of the study include: Yukio Yoshimura and Chiemi Kamada of Shikoku University; Shiro Tanaka and Sachiko Tanaka of Kyoto University School of Medicine; Osamu Hanyu and Hirohito Sone of the University of Niigata; Atsushi Araki and Hideki Ito of Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital; Akira Tanaka of Kagawa Nutrition University in Tokyo, Japan; Yasuo Ohashi of the University of Tokyo; Yasuo Akanuma of the Asahi Life Foundation; and Nobuhiro Yamada of the University of Tsukuba Institute of Clinical Medicine.

The study, "Dietary Sodium Intake and Incidence of Diabetes Complications in Japanese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes," was published online, ahead of print.

Founded in 1916, the Endocrine Society is the world's oldest, largest and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, the Endocrine Society's membership consists of over 17,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in more than 100 countries. Society members represent all basic, applied and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Washington, DC. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at http://www.endocrine.org. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/EndoMedia.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Vitamin D deficiency raises risk of schizophrenia diagnosis

2014-07-22

Washington, DC -- Vitamin D-deficient individuals are twice as likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia as people who have sufficient levels of the vitamin, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and is needed for bone and muscle health. The skin naturally produces this vitamin after exposure to sunlight. People also obtain smaller amounts of the vitamin through foods, such as milk fortified with vitamin D. More than 1 billion people worldwide are estimated ...

New study reveals vulnerability of sharks as collateral damage in commercial fishing

2014-07-22

MIAMI –A new study that examined the survival rates of 12 different shark species when captured as unintentional bycatch in commercial longline fishing operations found large differences in survival rates across the 12 species, with bigeye thresher, dusky, and scalloped hammerhead being the most vulnerable. The study, led by researchers at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and UM Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, provides new information to consider for future conservation measures for sharks in the Northwest ...

Are state Medicaid policies sentencing people with mental illnesses to prison?

2014-07-22

Researchers from the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics have linked tighter Medicaid policies governing antipsychotic drugs with increased incarceration rates for schizophrenic individuals. The study comes amid media scrutiny over whether cutbacks in mental health actually save money, when other costs are taken into account. Some health plans require an extra approval step before tests or treatments can be ordered for patients. This step – called prior authorization – is intended to encourage physicians to select cost-effective options by requiring ...

Should men at risk for cardiovascular disease receive earlier cholesterol treatment?

2014-07-22

New Rochelle, NY -- New guidelines on cholesterol treatment and cardiovascular risk assessment state that men have at least double the risk of dying from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or of having a heart attack or stroke as do women with a similar risk profile (based on age, smoking history, and cholesterol and blood pressure levels). The implications of this finding for when and how aggressively to treat high cholesterol are examined in an Editorial in Journal of Men's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is ...

Communication between nostril/skin microbiome bacteria can influence pathogen behavior

2014-07-22

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 22, 2014--A team of scientists has made an important discovery about the molecular interactions that occur between generally benign species of Propionibacterium bacteria and the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, the cause of most "staph" infections. These bacterial species are commonly found in the human nostrils and, also, on human skin. S. aureus is a potential pathogen that inhibits the nostrils of about a quarter of all adults. It is also a common cause of skin and more invasive infections. The team, led by Forsyth scientists, discovered ...

Research brings us nearer to understanding how neuro cells turn cancerous

2014-07-22

Scientists from the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research in New York with the help of Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry have completed research which for the first time brings us nearer to understanding how some cells in the brain and nervous system become cancerous. The results of their study are published in the prestigious journal Cancer Cell. The research team led by Sloan-Kettering researchers studied a tumour suppressor called Merlin. The results of the study have identified a new mechanism whereby Merlin suppresses ...

Retail pricing strategies: Do consumers prefer deep discounts or everyday low prices?

2014-07-22

Sometimes finding the best bang for your buck feels like a wild goose chase. It's hard to know which stores offer the best prices at any given time. According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, when trying to maximize savings, consumers will choose retailers they believe offer the lowest prices the majority of the time. "We looked at the impact different pricing strategies have on the stores people shop at when they do not know the product prices unless they visit the store," write authors Shai Danziger (Tel Aviv University), Liat Hadar (IDC Herzliya), ...

Avoiding buyer's remorse: Is product satisfaction higher when consumers are flush?

2014-07-22

It's the last day of the month and your paycheck arrives tomorrow. You buy a new pair of shoes but have a nagging feeling your money could have been better spent. According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, consumers are less satisfied with what they have purchased with their bottom dollar compared to when they have money in the bank. "As someone spends money, parting with one's remaining funds makes a product feel more costly and causes consumers to be less satisfied with what they buy," write authors Robin L. Soster (University of Arkansas), Andrew ...

Report on viruses looks beyond disease

2014-07-22

In contrast to their negative reputation as disease causing agents, some viruses can perform crucial biological and evolutionary functions that help to shape the world we live in today, according to a new report by the American Academy of Microbiology. "Viruses participate in essential Earth processes and influence all life forms on the planet, from contributing to biogeochemical cycles, shaping the atmospheric composition, and driving major speciation events," states Marilyn Roossinck of Pennsylvania State University, a member of the steering committee that helped to ...

Radio frequency ID tags on honey bees reveal hive dynamics

2014-07-22

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists attached radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to hundreds of individual honey bees and tracked them for several weeks. The effort yielded two discoveries: Some foraging bees are much busier than others; and if those busy bees disappear, others will take their place. The findings are reported in the journal Animal Behaviour. Tagging the bees revealed that about 20 percent of the foraging bees in a hive brought home more than half of the nectar and pollen gathered to feed the hive. "We found that some bees are working very, very hard ...

High-salt diet doubles threat of cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: