So here’s the thing: People with type 2 diabetes are at risk of their heart receiving less blood, which can cause serious problems like a heart attack or stroke. Scientists from Denmark decided to delve deeper and test how such risks can be identified in advance. They noticed that if a person has a lot of albumin protein in their urine, it could be a sign that they might have heart problems, even if they don’t feel anything yet.
The experiment involved people with diabetes who had normal levels of albumin in their urine and those who had elevated levels. Using special medical scanners, doctors looked at the coronary arteries – these are the vessels that supply the heart with blood. It turned out that those who had high albumin often had calcium deposits in these arteries. It’s like plaque on pipes that interferes with the normal flow of water. Only instead of pipes we have arteries, and instead of water we have blood.
Our kidneys and heart are connected, as it turns out. If the kidneys begin to not work as they should (and albumin in the urine is one of the signals of such problems), then there is a risk that the heart may suffer. If these discoveries are confirmed, it will help doctors know in advance who needs to pay extra close attention to their hearts to avoid bigger problems.