Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol are two different health concerns that increase risk of cardiovascular disease, among other things. While the processes that lead to type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol are different, each has negative ramifications. Further, each is associated with a sedentary lifestyle and obesity, such that the two can often occur in the same individual.
Hyperglycemia
Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body is unable to take up the nutritional molecule glucose from the bloodstream because various factors render insulin receptors incapable of responding to the hormone, explains Dr. Lauralee Sherwood in her book Human Physiology. Insulin is like a gatekeeper molecule that signals cells to take up glucose from the blood. As such, the major effect of type 2 diabetes is hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar following a meal. People with type 2 diabetes avoid this effect by eating only small amounts of slow-absorbing sugar.
Atherosclerosis
High cholesterol--specifically high "bad" cholesterol--leads to hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis. Explains Dr. Gary Thibodeau in his book Anatomy and Physiology, low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, which is often called "bad" cholesterol, carries cholesterol from the liver to the body's cells. High levels of cholesterol in the diet lead to high LDL, which can cause cholesterol from the bloodstream to begin to accumulate inside artery walls. These cholesterol accumulations, called arterial plaques, harden and narrow the arteries and can restrict blood flow.
Heart Attack and Stroke
As a result of hardened arteries in the case of high cholesterol, arterial walls can crack and bleed. This leads to formations of clots in the arteries, which further narrows the vessels. Additionally, explains Dr. Sherwood, clots can break off and travel through the vascular system. Since arteries become progressively smaller as they branch away from the heart, clots easily become trapped in small arteries and can completely block blood flow. This prevents cells from receiving oxygen and nutrients, leading to heart attack if the blocked artery is in the heart, or stroke if the blocked artery is in the brain.
References
- "Human Physiology"; Lauralee Sherwood, Ph.D.; 2004
- "Anatomy and Physiology"; Gary Thibodeau, Ph.D.; 2007
