title: Paradox of using intensive lowering of blood glucose in diabetics and strategies to overcome it and decrease cardiovascular risks.
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-inflammatory 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Peoples Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peoples Hospital of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350004, China. hengxianpei@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Xian-pei
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Heng
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Peoples Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peoples Hospital of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350004, China.
authors.forename: Liu-qing
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Peoples Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peoples Hospital of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350004, China.
authors.forename: Min-ling
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Peoples Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peoples Hospital of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350004, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Academy of Integrative Medicine Fujian China, Fuzhou, 350122, China.
authors.forename: Su-ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Chinese herbal medicine; cardiovascular risk; diabetes; glucose toxicity; harmless hyperglycemia