Stroke in the Patient With Type 2 Diabetes.

Abstract

Objective: Persons living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have a significantly greater risk of stroke (1.5 to 3 times higher than normoglycemic individuals). The traditional approach to primary and secondary stroke prevention has been control of risk factors. While this has resulted in prolongation of life in patients with diabetes, the risk for recurrent stroke in these patients still remains higher than in the normoglycemic population, and patients with T2DM post stroke have a poorer quality of life (increases in handicap and death).

Methods: Multiple publications on the pathophysiology which increases stroke in T2DM were reviewed as well as new publications looking at the effect of traditional and new risk factor modification on stroke are summarized.

Results: Traditional risk factor modification is refined with recommended levels of lipids and blood pressure and methods of anticoagulation. More recently, studies with antidiabetic drugs (glucagon-like peptide 1 RA and pioglitazone) have been shown to prevent both primary and secondary stroke in patients with diabetes.

Conclusions: Worldwide, stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability. Both risk and the outcomes are greatly worsened by the presence of T2DM. Newer recommendations can improve these outcomes.