Are you living with diabetes? Then you might know that effective disease management is the best way to avoid a diabetic emergency, keep bothersome symptoms at bay, and improve your quality of life. It’s also the best way to safeguard against serious — and all-too common — complications like:
At Sunnyvale Cardiology in Sunnyvale, Texas, we know that diabetes management and blood sugar control are essential to heart disease prevention. Here, our board-certified cardiologists explore the close connection between diabetes and heart disease and explain how you can protect your health.
Diabetes is a major controllable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. How major? It doubles your risk of developing heart disease, simultaneously increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke — a leading cause of death among people with diabetes.
The longer you have diabetes, even if your blood sugar levels are well-controlled, the greater your heart disease risk. This is because diabetes can be very hard on your heart, blood vessels, and nerves, especially when blood sugar levels aren’t controlled.
Excess glucose circulating through your blood can inflame and damage the walls of your arteries over time, making it easier for plaque deposits to stick and accumulate.
As plaque builds up in arteries, they become harder and narrower. This condition, known as atherosclerosis, or peripheral artery disease (PAD), reduces or blocks blood flow and sets the stage for heart disease.
Diabetes can also weaken the heart muscle, making it less effective at pumping blood throughout the body — a condition known as congestive heart failure.
Diabetes is hard on nerves, too. When high blood sugar damages the nerves that control blood pressure or heart function, it can lead to dangerous heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias).
Diabetes also drastically increases the risk of developing other conditions that heighten your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. In fact, these medical problems are so closely associated with diabetes, they’re often referred to as “co-occurring” conditions.
People with diabetes are more likely to have high blood pressure (hypertension), which strains the heart, damages blood vessels, and sets the stage for eye problems and kidney disease.
Insulin resistance and diabetes can lead to dyslipidemia, a condition characterized by elevated levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglyceride and lower levels of “good” HDL cholesterol — all of which contributes to atherosclerosis.
Being overweight increases the risk of both diabetes and heart disease, and can worsen any existing conditions. Excess weight, particularly around the midsection, is linked to insulin resistance because the cells that make up visceral fat release substances that interfere with insulin action.
If you have diabetes, it’s important to take every possible step to protect against heart disease and stroke — especially if you have any uncontrollable heart disease risk factors like family history and older age.
We recommend the following to keep your heart and blood vessels healthy:
Your diabetes ABCs aim to help you manage your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
In addition to checking your blood sugar levels daily and taking your diabetes medications as directed, your diabetes ABCs require you to keep tabs on these important numbers, so you can spot and reverse any problems early.
Healthy living with diabetes means eating a wholesome, balanced diet, engaging in regular exercise, reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting your alcohol intake. These strategies support better blood sugar control and optimal cardiovascular health.
Regular checkups are essential for monitoring your diabetes and heart health, detecting potential complications early, and adjusting treatment plans as needed.
By taking proactive steps to manage diabetes and its associated conditions, you can significantly reduce your chances of developing serious complications like heart disease and stroke — and we’re here to help.
Get started by scheduling a heart health screening at Sunnyvale Cardiology. Call 214-466-6943 today, or request an appointment online at your convenience.
