About one in 11 people in the US have diabetes. This condition can cause many other health problems, including a higher risk for cardiovascular (heart) disease or diseases that affect your heart and blood vessels.
How diabetes is linked to the health of your heart and blood vessels? Discover below and learn what you can do to reduce your risk.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes occurs when your body can not make or properly use the hormone insulin, which helps move the glucose, or sugar, from your flow of blood into your cells. Your doctor may check your glucose level in the blood, which measures the amount of glucose in the blood, to see if it is normal.
Type 1 diabetes, which is less common and usually diagnosed in childhood, occurs when your body does not produce insulin. Without insulin, glucose remains in the blood instead of going to your cells.
Type 2 diabetes, which is the most common type, occurs when your body can not use insulin the right way.
diabetes and cardiovascular health
What you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes changes the chemistry in your blood. This can make your blood vessels shrink
Many people with diabetes also have other health conditions or habits that increase their risk of heart and vascular disease, such as :.
- Hypertension
- high cholesterol
- obesity
- smoking
- Not getting enough exercise
people with diabetes are much more likely to have heart and vascular disease than people who do not. If you are diabetic, you may have a higher risk of
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Hypertension
- Wounds in your legs or feet that do not heal
- damage to the arteries in your eyes and kidneys
Understand and lowering your risk
This is important to understand your risks and take steps to reduce them. You can help reduce your risk of heart and vascular disease by lowering the following ABC:
- A1C
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol
A1C is a test that measures your level of sugar in the blood over the last three months. You might be able to reduce your HbA1c levels through diet, medication, and exercise.
Blood pressure is the force of blood against your artery walls. Healthy blood pressure is 0/80 mm Hg on a regular basis.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance in the blood that can form on the walls of your arteries. A healthy cholesterol level is 0 mg / dL or less
You can also help reduce your risk by :.
- Following a healthy diet for the heart
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Get active
- Quitting
- stress Management
There is always a good idea to talk to your doctor about what works best for you. To learn more about lowering your risk, visit the Heart and Vascular Institute at UPMC or call 1-855-UPMC-HVI (876-2484).
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