September 20, 2007
Other Illnesses
Question from Bend, Oregon, USA:
My son has had diabetes since he was two. I have long been on this site and found the support group helpful. Now, my son has developed atrial fibrillation. He is wearing a monitor now to determine the severity. What options will be available to him? How will this affect his diabetes? I can’t seem to get a straight answer from the cardiologist or the endocrinologist.
Answer:
I do not think the heart rhythm disturbance is related to his diabetes. I suspect it is a separate issue and should be handled by the cardiologists as they would any other case of atrial fibrillation. Whether or not the stress during an attack of such a rhythm problem causes an adrenalin surge and high glucose levels is unknown. Close monitoring of blood sugars should answer this question. I have one patient with type 1 diabetes and atrial fibrillation and there has not been any obvious overlap between the two conditions at all.
SB
