Summary

The final answer will come from further research. We have started a study attempting to improve outcomes in patients with diabetes undergoing cardiac bypass surgery. Diabetic patients have approximately double the complication rate compared to people without diabetes having the same surgery. We are going to test the hypothesis that controlling all the metabolic risk factors discussed above - glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure and protecting the arterial wall - will significantly reduce complications. Not only could this benefit the patient but it may also reduce the average length of hospital stay and reduce the costs to the health care system. This project and others will, we hope, shed light on the relationship between blood sugar control and macrovascular disease. Regardless of the findings, however, it is still very important to control glucose levels in people with diabetes because of the dramatic benefit that this has on reducing the risk of microvascular complications.

Dr. David Thompson is the acting head of the Division of Endocrinology at University of British Columbia. He is an expert in diabetes and maintains a medical practice as well as a research program.

References

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