Diabetics Must Monitor Vision Health As most diabetics are aware, vision health has to be monitored on a regular basis, so any tool that can easily assist that monitoring is helpful.
A new study from the Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School has examined the association between one of the most high profile health concerns of the day - elevated cholesterol levels - and the risk of macular edema, a disorder that affects millions of diabetics, and one of the primary causes of vision loss.
The results of the study may prove to be important. But just as important is how diabetics react to the results.
Macular edema occurs when fluid enters the macula; a component of the retina that helps facilitate vision. When fluid builds up, swelling causes blurred vision that may become permanent if not treated. This process is just one of the complications of diabetic retinopathy, a disorder that obstructs blood flow to the retina.
As reported in the journal Diabetes, the Harvard team collected statistics from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial. Well over six years of medical data (including yearly blood tests that checked cholesterol) was gathered on more than 1,400 type 1 diabetics.
Analysis of the information showed that subjects with the highest LDL cholesterol levels were about twice as likely to develop clinically significant macular edema (CSME) when compared to subjects with the lowest LDL. More striking was the data concerning total-to-HDL cholesterol rati Those with the highest difference between total cholesterol and HDL had nearly four times the risk of CSME compared to those with the least difference.
In the conclusion to the Harvard study the authors write, "Lipid-lowering treatment among type 1 diabetic subjects, recommended to prevent cardiovascular disease, may also decrease risk of CSME."
Of course, many doctors will read the phrase "lipid-lowering treatment" and simply write a prescription for a cholesterol- lowering statin drug for type 1 diabetic patients with high LDL or high total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio. But considering the health risks that diabetics are already faced with, doctors should be cautious of complicating the picture with statins' risky side effects, especially when safer alternatives are available.
Last month, in the e-Alert "Barely in the Bank" (12/21/04), I told you about policosanol, an effective natural agent for managing cholesterol levels. Policosanol is a compound of fatty alcohols derived primarily from sugar cane. In a trial involving 240 post-menopausal women with high cholesterol, 10 mg of policosanol taken daily for six months significantly lowered LDL levels (25.2 percent) and total cholesterol (16.7 percent). The women also experienced an overall 29.3 percent increase in HDL levels.
But can a product made from sugar cane be safe for diabetics? Absolutely. Even though policosanol is extracted from the same plant that produces table sugar, it has no affect on blood sugar levels.
In addition, policosanol provides other important cardiovascular benefits. In a 2002 issue of Nutrition & Healing, alternative healthcare pioneer Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., wrote: "Policosanol helps to prevent strokes by inhibiting platelet aggregation and abnormal blood clotting and may lower blood pressure. And unlike the popular patent medications, policosanol has virtually no side effects, and does not seriously interfere with our bodies' ability to produce co-enzyme Q10 as the patent statin medications do."
As everyone who is educated about cholesterol knows, the best first choice for addressing high LDL or low HDL is to combine regular exercise with a balanced diet of fresh, whole foods, and as few refined products as possible. But for diabetics who might need additional assistance in managing cholesterol levels, policosanol may provide a safe and effective treatment that won't put an additional strain on their health. Sources:
"A Prospective Study of Serum Lipids and Risk of Diabetic Macular Edema in Type 1 Diabetes" Diabetes, Vol. 53, No. 11, November 2004, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
"High Cholesterol in Diabetes May Harm Vision" Reuters Health, 11/30/04, reutershealth.com
"The Sweet Secret for Effectively Lowering Cholesterol Levels" Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., 1/1/02, wrightnewsletter.com |
