Many coronary heart disease patients do not know that diabetes can cause cardiovascular disease, according to a study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

Diabetes is a common disease in Hong Kong, with 10 percent of the population afflicted.

After studying 479 patients with coronary heart disease at Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital between April 2007 and March 2008, CUHK researchers found that 71 percent had pre-diabetes (an abnormal level of glucose) or type II diabetes.

"The study shows many people are not aware that diabetes is one of the important causes of coronary heart disease," said Peter Tong, an specialist in endocrinology and diabetes.

He urged coronary heart disease patients to pay special attention to their glucose levels. Pre-diabetes has no symptoms, he said. By the time patients feel sick they already have diabetes.

He advised people over the age of 40 with a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity to take an oral glucose tolerance test to find out if they have diabetes.

He said the most effective ways for coronary heart disease patients to prevent diabetes are weight control and healthy eating.

"Preventing diabetes can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease," he said.

Li Shu-kin, a diabetes specialist of the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, said in public hospitals 30 to 40 percent of coronary heart disease patients have diabetes.

If future studies confirm that a high percentage of coronary heart disease patients have diabetes, they may have to take the oral tests to determine their glucose levels.

One patient, a 43-year-old man, was diagnosed with diabetes and coronary heart disease this year.Though he jogs occasionally, he likes to eat greasy food and rarely gets medical checks. He said he felt an uncomfortable pressure in his chest in July and had heart surgery two months later.

His doctor told him that diabetes caused his heart disease.

"My friends were shocked that I was admitted to hospital," he said. "They have become more aware of their glucose levels from my experience".

(HK Edition 12/12/2008 page1)