Weight loss aids diabetics' hearts

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in people with diabetes. Image: selimaksan/iStockphoto An Australian study shows that losing 6 kg reduces artery stiffness by 20% in obese people with Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes carries a six-fold greater risk of heart disease due to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.Cardiovascular disease is the commonest cause of death in people with diabetes – accounting for 68% of all deaths.Associate Professor Katherine Samaras from Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Associate Professor Christopher Hayward from St. Vincent’s Hospital have shown that arterial stiffness is directly associated with inflammation –  that is, activation of white blood cells and genes that regulate inflammation. Their findings are published in Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research, now online.The study was based on 14 obese people with Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. All participants underwent a calorie-restricted diet for 24 weeks, with gastric banding surgery after 12 weeks.“We...

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