Heart Failure Can Be First Symptom of Heart Trouble in Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is known to increase the risk of an atherosclerotic cardiovascular (ASCVD) event. It also can cause heart failure (HF) in people without cardiovascular disease (CVD). To identify the factors that predispose an individual with T2D to developing HF as a first major CVD event, researchers followed 6,175 men and women, mean age 64, with T2D but no history of CVD for a median of 5.8 years. During follow-up, 16.8% experienced HF hospitalization or HF death as their first CVD event, and 65.2% experienced an ASCVD event (heart attack, stroke, unstable angina, revascularization or CVD death). The risk factors most closely associated with HF as the first event were older age, higher body mass index and higher urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, a sign of kidney damage. The risk factors most common in ASCVD first events were high LDL cholesterol and high HbA1c, a measure of blood sugar levels over time (Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Jan. 13, 2026).
