Heart and Blood Vessel Diseases

    People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing certain problems with the heart and
    blood vessels. (These are called cardiovascular diseases.) For people with diabetes, heart
    disease is a common and serious health condition. If you have diabetes, it's important to
    understand your heart disease risk and what you can do to lower it.

    Some of these problems are:

            •  heart attack (caused by a blockage of the blood vessels supplying blood to
               the heart)
            •  stroke (caused by a blockage of the blood vessels supplying the brain)
            •  blockage of blood vessels in the legs and feet, which can lead to foot ulcers,
               infections, and even loss of a toe, foot, or lower leg

    How well blood sugar is managed probably plays a role in heart and blood vessel problems,
    too. And if a person smokes, is obese, has abnormal levels of blood lipids (triglycerides or
    cholesterol), high blood pressure, or a family history of heart attack or stroke before age 50,
    he or she definitely has a higher risk of these problems.

    One thing you can do to reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases is to be a healthy
    weight. If you're overweight, your doctor can suggest ways to help you lose weight and stay
    there. The doctor may also check your blood lipid levels (cholesterol and triglycerides) and
    blood pressure regularly to be sure they're in a healthy range.

    Following your diabetes meal plan, getting regular exercise, and taking diabetes
    medications as prescribed may also help prevent or delay the development of heart and
    blood vessel problems. Also, smoking increases the risk of heart and blood vessel
    problems, as well as other diabetes complications.

    If you or someone you love has diabetes, here are some of the statistics you need to know
    about heart disease and diabetes:

     • Heart disease strikes people with diabetes almost twice as often as people who
       don't have diabetes.
     • People with diabetes tend to develop heart disease at a younger age than people
       without diabetes.
     • Two out of three people with diabetes die from either heart disease or stroke.
     • Compared to people without diabetes, people with diabetes are at about two to
       four times the risk for stroke.
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COPYRIGHT 2008-11 ROCK FOR DIABETES  A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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