Patients who have weak immune systems are vulnerable to getting shingles and the shingles vaccine is a live vaccine, he added. The study looked at patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis (an inflammation of the spine), or inflammatory bowel disease.
Fasting Blood Glucose (Blood Sugar) Level. A value above 126 mg/dL on at least 2 occasions typically means a person has diabetes. The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. An oral glucose tolerance test is one that can be performed in a doctor's office or a lab.
The higher a person's blood sugar level is, the higher his or her risk of DHD. Diabetes affects heart disease risk in three major ways. First, diabetes alone is a very serious risk factor for heart disease, just like smoking, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol.