Diabetes & Your Heart
Diabetes places people at greater risk for cardiovascular health problems like heart disease, stroke, heart attack, and others. The reason is that people with diabetes have imbalances in their blood sugar levels, which can cause poor circulation, eventually leading to heart problems. Factors that can increase the risk for heart problems:
How can you reduce the risks to help your heart and your diabetes control? Following are some tips:
Check your blood pressure and blood fats regularly. Keep blood pressure, cholesterol (LDL & HDL) and triglycerides in target ranges.
Follow a low-fat meal plan. Include more fruits and vegetables in your diet; have fewer sweets and fewer packaged or fried foods to help keep your blood fats at healthy levels. Your doctor or registered dietitian who is a diabetes educator, can help you with creating a meal plan.
Quit smoking and/or using tobacco products. Smoking narrows the blood vessels that may already be weak in some areas. Smoking causes small red blood cells to stick together and clot blood vessels. Smoking also increases blood fat levels which makes your heart work harder to pump blood to all parts of your body that need it, increasing your risk for a heart attack or stroke.
More information on diabetes & smoking?
Download this smoking brochure 
Stay physically active. Talk with your doctor about an exercise program that works for you. You should include some aerobic exercise with your regular routine. Regular aerobic exercise helps you lose (or maintain) weight, strengthens your heart and lungs, and also benefits your circulation. One major study trial's results indicate that a 5% weight reduction lowers the diabetes risk by 61%; and every 3 kilogram (6.6 pounds) decrease in weight doubles the benefit.
[See DCP web page: exercise & diabetes]
Reach (or maintain) a healthy weight. Being at your target weight allows your heart to pump normally. Being overweight contributes to poor blood glucose control, which can be harmful to your blood vessels (which may already be weakened). Exercise is one of the most important ways to achieve or maintain a healthy weight, lose weight, and helps your heart and lungs stay healthy and fit. Need information on your ideal weight or Body Mass Index (BMI)? Link here: Body Mass Index
Maintain healthy blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels can damage your blood vessels by making them thicker and more brittle, and by increasing the levels of blood cholesterol. Keeping your blood sugar levels within the target range can greatly reduce your risk for cardiovascular problems.
Consider aspirin therapy. Aspirin helps reduce clotting in the blood vessels, and that can decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke. Aspirin therapy may not be right for everyone -- talk with your doctor before you start taking aspirin to see if it should be part of your diabetes treatment plan.
Take your medicine. Take all your medicines as prescribed by your physician. This is important for heart health as well as diabetes control.
Other Heart-Healthy Links:
Be Smart About Your Heart Control the ABCs of Diabetes: A1c, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol
You CAN manage your diabetes and your risk for diabetes-related heart problems by following your doctor's advice & the treatment plan
that is right for you. |
[Information for this page was adapted from material produced at Joslin Diabetes Center & the American Diabetes Association.
