Do Diabetes Treatments Affect Inflammation?
Diabetes and high hs-CRP levels both increase the risk of having a future heart attack or stroke. Diabetes is linked to increased inflammation (detectable by the hs-CRP test), and this inflammation has harmful effects on the blood vessel walls over time. The primary goal of diabetes treatments is to lower blood sugar levels. Diabetic patients may need to take extra medications to control their blood pressure and/or cholesterol levels, and some of these may have the additional effect of reducing inflammation. Some diabetes treatments also reduce inflammation, as seen by the changes in blood levels of a variety of molecules including C-reactive protein, that are involved in the inflammatory process. Diabetes treatments with known anti-inflammatory effects include insulin and drugs of the insulin sensitizing kind, such as the “glitazones” and metformin. If you are diabetic and your hs-CRP level is high, your doctor may advise you to make some lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of a hea
