How High Blood Glucose Causes Atherosclerosis

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Doctor Margaret Collins-Hill with Consults in Hypertension in Wilmington, North Carolina. The question today is how does high blood glucose cause atherosclerosis. First of all, high blood glucose is simply high levels of sugar in the blood stream. Your blood sugar is supposed to stay within a very strict range, and when it runs too high that's a conditions called diabetes. Atherosclerosis is a disease of the arteries or blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the tissues. Atherosclerosis is a disease of the blood vessels that occurs gradually over many years. A build up of cholesterol and other substances in the vessels causes the vessels to close, and this leads to heart attacks, strokes and other vessel diseases. Diabetes is a major cause of severe atherosclerosis along with high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol and inherited factors. It is clear that when you treat diabetes, and are able to lower the blood sugar to the normal range that there is a great reduction in heart attack, and other vessel complications. There are a number of ways to lower your blood glucose. It has to do with diet, exercise and a number of medications. There are a number of ways to reduce your risk of atherosclerosis as well, such as stopping smoking, treating high cholesterol and treating high blood pressure. If you have been told that you have high blood sugars, you should meet with your doctor and find out ways that you can lower your blood sugar to the normal range and reduce your risk. So, to summarize, high blood glucose is generally due to diabetes. Diabetes makes atherosclerosis worse. Atherosclerosis causes heart attack and stroke. See your doctor if anyone ever mentions that your blood sugar's high. Thank, I'm Doctor Margaret Collins-Hill."