Diabetes can really increase the risk of heart disease. Diabetes is tricky enough on its own, and dealing with a heart attack and diabetes at the same time seems very difficult. But good heart health care has a lot in common with diabetes care:
- Most of the ways that help control diabetes also help heart health.
- Cultivating some heart-healthy habits reduces the risk of heart disease.
What is the link between heart disease and diabetes?
Medical experts do not yet fully understand how diabetes affects the heart. Heart disease can be caused by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, hypercholesterolemia, and high blood pressure. But genetics and lifestyle may also influence the risk of disease. People who smoke have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than non-smokers.
The risk of heart disease is higher if you have:
- High blood pressure. The pressure that drives blood through the arteries is too high and can damage the artery walls over time.
- Hypercholesterolemia. It causes a type of fat to form inside the walls of blood vessels. The fat buildup slows the flow of blood to the heart muscle, increasing the risk of a heart attack.
- Kidney damage. It has many of the same risk factors as heart disease (such as high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and hypercholesterolemia).
How can I reduce my risk of heart disease?
The risk of heart disease can be reduced by:
- Maintain your cholesterol at a healthy level.
- Control blood sugar.
- Maintain blood pressure at a healthy level.
- Maintain blood pressure at a healthy level.
- Do not smoke.
Eat wisely
Consider the condition of having diabetes when choosing foods. Then consider heart health and change recipes if necessary.
Start with carbohydrates
Eat approximately equal amounts of carbohydrates throughout the day. This helps keep blood sugar in a healthy range.
Balance carbohydrates in the way you like best, such as counting your carbohydrate intake or just choosing various foods in healthy proportions.
Focus on heart health
- Choose foods that are high in fiber, low in saturated fatty acids, low in trans fatty acids, and low in salt, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats and dairy products.
- Cook with vegetable oils instead of animal oils.
- Eat less processed foods that contain salt, such as crackers, fries, cakes and canned soups.
- Consult a dietitian if you need information on heart-healthy and diabetes-friendly foods.
Choose from a wide variety of heart-healthy foods to help control blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Being active
Being active is good for your diabetes and heart, helps manage blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and is key to managing your weight. And a healthy weight helps control diabetes and heart risk.
- Consult your doctor before you start exercising.
- Choose the type of exercise you like. If you are just starting to exercise, or have limited time, you can start by walking. Resistance training can also help improve health and improve blood sugar control.
- Increase the amount of time or intensity of exercise day by day or week by week. Accumulate at least 30 minutes per day.
Watch your metric levels
- Check your blood glucose levels. Know your blood glucose goals. Test your blood glucose levels at home and take regular HbA1c tests. Keep your blood glucose as close to the same level and within your goal range as possible each day.
- Know your blood pressure. Consider taking your blood pressure at home. Record your blood pressure and tell your doctor at your appointment. Your doctor will set a target blood pressure value for individual circumstances. If your blood pressure is high, you may need to use blood pressure-lowering medicine.
- Laboratory tests for urine protein levels. Protein in the urine may be a sign of kidney damage (diabetic nephropathy); if proteinuria is present, the risk of heart disease is higher.
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Physicians may recommend that patients have their cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked, depending on their age or risk of heart disease. Ask your doctor when you need to have your cholesterol levels checked.
Make staying healthy a primary goal
- Be active with your health professional. Make sure that each doctor you see knows your entire medical history. If you have questions about tests, medications, exercise or healthy eating, consult your doctor or dietitian.
- Do not smoke. Smoking can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. Talking to your doctor about ways to help you quit can help you achieve permanent cessation.
- Take your medicine every day as prescribed. Your doctor may recommend taking a statin to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. If the doctor and patient agree, the doctor may recommend that the patient take aspirin every day.