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Essential cardiovascular disease information

TRANSFORMING THE WAY WE TALK ABOUT CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Learn about cardiovascular disease and the interconnected systems

‘My heart is extremely important not only for me, but also for my family.’

Learn about cardiovascular disease and the interconnected systems

What is the connection between the heart and type 2 diabetes?

The heart serves as an engine that pumps fuel around the body in the form of blood, and the pancreas produces hormones that regulate blood sugar and help the body to digest food to create more fuel.1,2 Type 2 diabetes is caused by pancreatic dysfunction or insulin resistance, making it harder for your body to sufficiently utilize glucose, resulting in high blood sugar levels.3


The heart and type 2 diabetes are linked, as the high blood sugar in type 2 diabetes damages vessels the heart uses to pump blood around the body, and to itself.4  In addition, impaired utilization of nutrients in diabetes can cause dysfunction of the heart muscle.5


People living with type 2 diabetes are more likely to have other conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, that increase the risk of developing additional cardiovascular diseases.4


Because the two organ systems are so closely related, getting your type 2 diabetes under control can help to improve your heart health and limit the risk to your heart caused by high blood sugar.4,5

connection between the heart

If you have questions or concerns about the interconnectivity of these conditions, speak to your doctor.

What is the connection between the heart and the kidneys?

The heart and the kidneys work together to make sure that clean blood is provided to the body. Your kidneys remove waste products and excess water from your blood, and your heart pumps the blood to the rest of your body (including back into your kidneys).6,7 Due to the close relationship between the organ systems, when one isn’t functioning properly, the other is affected.6


When the kidneys aren’t working properly, this changes the composition and volume of your blood, requiring the heart to work harder to pump it around your body, and putting increased pressure on your blood vessels (high blood pressure).7,8


In turn, the increased pressure on your blood vessels can cause damage to your kidneys, which can limit their ability to filter your blood.7 Managing your high blood pressure through regular check-ins with your healthcare team and lifestyle changes can drastically reduce the risk of further heart and kidney damage.9


Similarly, heart failure and kidney damage are closely related. In people with heart failure, the kidneys often don't work properly and in turn increase stress to the already damaged heart.7

heart and the kidneys

If you have questions or concerns about the interconnectivity of these conditions, speak to your doctor.

References

  1. Stefanovska A. Physics of the human cardiovascular system. Contemporary Physics. 2010;40:31–55.

  2. Atkinson, MA., et al. Organisation of the human pancreas in health and in diabetes. Diabetologia. 2020;63:1966–1973. 

  3. Martin-Timon I., et al. Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: Have all Risk Factors the Same Strength? World J Diabetes. 2014;5(4):444–470.

  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-and-heart.html (Last accessed: October 2021).        

  5. Thomas MC., et al. Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Failure: Challenges and Solutions. Curr Cardiol Rev. 2016;12:249.

  6. García-Donaire JA, Ruilope LM. Cardiovascular and Renal Links along the Cardiorenal Continuum. Int J Nephrol. 2011;975782. 

  7. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. What is Chronic Kidney Disease? Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/what-is-chronic-kidney-disease (Last accessed: October 2021).

  8. Liu S. Heart-kidney interactions: mechanistic insights from animal models. Renal pathophysiology. 2019;316(5):F974-F98

  9. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Managing Chronic Kidney Disease. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/managing (Last accessed: October 2021).

Job code: PC-CRP-102667

Date of preparation: November 2021