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Paradox of using intensive lowering of blood glucose in diabetics and strategies to overcome it and decrease cardiovascular risks

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Abstract

Hyperglycemia significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in diabetics. However, it has been shown by a series of large scale international studies that intensive lowering of blood glucose levels not only has very limited benefits against cardiovascular problems in patients, but may even be harmful to patients at a high risk for CVD and/or poor long-term control of blood glucose levels. Therefore, Western medicine is faced with a paradox. One way to solve this may be administration of Chinese herbal medicines that not only regulate blood glucose, blood fat levels and blood pressure, but also act on multiple targets. These medicines can eliminate cytotoxicity of high glucose through anti-inflfl ammatory and anti-oxidant methods, regulation of cytokines and multiple signaling molecules, and maintenance of cell vitality and the cell cycle, etc. This allows hyperglycemic conditions to exist in a healthy manner, which is called “harmless hyperglycemia” Furthermore, these cardiovascular benefits go beyond lowering blood glucose levels. The mechanisms of action not only avoid cardiovascular injury caused by intensive lowering of blood glucose levels, but also decrease the cardiovascular dangers posed by hyperglycemia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology, Peoples Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peoples Hospital of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350004, China

    Xian-pei Heng  (衡先培), Liu-qing Yang  (杨柳清), Min-ling Chen  (陈敏灵) & Liang Li  (李 亮)

  2. Academy of Integrative Medicine Fujian China, Fuzhou, 350122, China

    Su-ping Huang  (黄苏萍)

  3. Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China

    Ying Lei  (雷 缨)

Authors
  1. Xian-pei Heng  (衡先培)
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  2. Liu-qing Yang  (杨柳清)
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  3. Min-ling Chen  (陈敏灵)
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  4. Liang Li  (李 亮)
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  5. Su-ping Huang  (黄苏萍)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xian-pei Heng  (衡先培).

Additional information

Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81173179, 81473550, 81403329), Focal Point Project of Fujian Province in China (No. 2012Y0037), Research Fund for Traditional Chinese Medicine Focus Lab of Fujian Provincial Department of Health (No. wztn 201304), CHEN Keji Development Fund of Integrative Medicine (No. CKJ2009004), and Special Fund for Key Subject of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. X2014037)

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Heng, Xp., Yang, Lq., Chen, Ml. et al. Paradox of using intensive lowering of blood glucose in diabetics and strategies to overcome it and decrease cardiovascular risks. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 21, 791–800 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-015-0780-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-015-0780-5

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