The results of a new study may explain why 65% of patients with
diabetes die from heart attack or stroke. The researchers based
their results on a comparison of heart function in 11 patients
with type 1 diabetes and 11 patients without the disease. The
researchers found that the cardiac muscle of patients with
diabetes relies heavily on fat for energy and depends very
little on the usual energy source, glucose (sugar). In
comparison, the heart muscle of individuals without diabetes
does not have a strong inclination for fat and can use either
glucose or fat as an energy source. It depends on the
individual?s blood composition, hormone levels, or how hard the
heart is working. (The findings were reported in the Journal of
the American College of Cardiology, February 7, 2006).