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Diabetes and Heart Disease
If you have diabetes, you are two to four times more likely to have
heart disease than someone without diabetes. This higher risk is due to
diabetes, but it is also due to other risk factors for heart disease that
occur in people with diabetes. But there’s good news. You can help
control your health risks by making some changes in your life. You can
take steps to reduce your risk of heart disease by half – similar to the
risk in people who don’t have diabetes.
Your main risk factors
Other risk factors
Three major risk factors for heart disease are high
blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high levels
of lipids. By keeping risk factors under control, you
can help keep your heart and arteries healthy. This
may reduce your chances of a heart attack.
Certain lifestyle factors can increase levels of
your blood sugar, blood pressure, and lipids. Such
increases raise your risk of heart disease.
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Blood sugar
High blood sugar can make artery walls
tough and rough. Plaque (waxy material
in the blood) can then build up, making
it harder for blood to flow through
the arteries. Having high blood sugar
increases the chances of having high
blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Blood pressure
When blood pressure is high all the
time, artery walls become damaged,
increasing the risk for plaque build up.
Lipids
The body needs some lipids in the
blood to stay healthy. But lipid levels
that are too high can damage the artery
walls. Lipids include cholesterol and
triglycerides. There are two kinds of
cholesterol. LDL (“bad”) cholesterol can
damage the arteries. But HDL (“good”)
cholesterol helps clear LDL cholesterol
from the blood vessels. This helps keep
the arteries healthy. When blood sugar
is high, the level of triglycerides in the
blood may also be high. High blood
triglyceride levels can cause plaque
to form.
• Smoking damages the lining of your arteries.
This allows plaque to build up in the artery
walls. Smoking also constricts (narrows) the
arteries, which can raise blood pressure.
Smoking also increases your risk of getting
type 2 diabetes.
• Not being active makes it harder for your heart
to do its work. Inactivity is linked to many other
risk factors, such as high blood pressure and
poor cholesterol levels. Inactivity also increases
your risk of getting type 2 diabetes.
• Being overweight makes it harder for your
body to use insulin. It also makes your heart
work too hard. Being overweight is also the
main contributor to the development of type 2
diabetes.
Your health care team will
develop a treatment plan that
works best for you.
Changes you can make
Following a few simple steps can help keep your
risk factors under control. Work with your health
care team to reach your goals.
• Quitting smoking could save your life. Smoking
damages the lining of the blood vessels and
raises blood pressure. Smoking also affects how
your body uses insulin. This makes it harder to
keep blood sugar under control. If you smoke
and need help quitting, talk to your health care
team.
• Testing your blood sugar is the only way to
know whether it is under control. Be sure to
test your blood sugar yourself. Also get your
blood tested in the lab, as directed.
• Monitoring your blood pressure and lipid levels
can help you achieve safe levels. Visit your
health care team as scheduled.
• Taking medications as directed can help control
blood sugar, blood pressure, blood clotting,
and/or cholesterol levels.
• Eating right can reduce your risk factors and
help you lose weight. Try to limit the amount of
processed or refined carbohydrates you eat at
one time. Cut back on your total calorie intake.
Eat foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Eat fiber, including vegetables and whole grains,
and cut down on salt. A dietitian or diabetes
educator can help form a meal plan that works
for you.
• Being active can help reduce your weight,
strengthen your heart, and lower your lipid
levels and blood pressure. Exercise and activity
are good for your whole body. Talk to your
health care team about increasing your activity
safely over time.
• Keeping your appointments with your health
care provider helps you stay healthy. Go in for
checkups and lab tests as scheduled.
Take your medications as
directed each day, even if you
feel fine.
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call the Tennessee Health Connection for free at 1-855-259-0701.
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