North Carolina readers might be interested in a story published on June 3 concerning undiagnosed diabetes cases. According to the American Heart Association, about 10 percent of heart attack incidences resulted from undiagnosed diabetes.
Researchers learned this after studying health records retrieved from 24 United States hospitals. This study involved 2,854 people who had a heart attack who did not know they had diabetes. These patients did not find out they were diabetic until after examiners tested their A1C levels. The A1C evaluations were used to determine blood sugar levels from two to three months preceding the heart attack. This information is part of what led to new discoveries about the link between heart attack and diabetes.
After further analysis, 2014 reports indicate that doctors failed to recognize diabetes in about 7 million Americans. Furthermore, researchers indicate that diabetes can strike at any time and cause blood sugar hikes. This drastic glucose change increases heart attack risk. According to the American Heart Association, two-thirds of people with diabetes die from a heart attack. Furthermore, doctors could have possibly increased likelihood of detecting diabetes if they had used the A1C levels test on patients. According to a recent report, more than half of 920,000 Americans will have a heart attack without warning signs or symptoms. Many of these cases will include undiagnosed diabetics.
The new awareness about diabetes causing heart problems could lead to an increase in medical malpractice suits. Filing a case against a doctor, nurse or institution involves proving that the medical practitioner neglected to perform testing on patients receiving a checkup or other hospital error. Otherwise, if a patient was tested, a lawyer might help the plaintiff build a case against the examination lab.
Source: Medical Daily, “Diabetes May Cause Heart Attacks When Doctors Fail To Diagnosis The Disease“, Samantha Olson, June 03, 2014