Cutting the Risk of Heart Disease in People With Diabetes How to Reduce Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol

About 65% of people with diabetes die from heart disease, and high blood glucose levels increase the likelihood of heart attack, stroke symptoms and angina. Find out how to manage diabetes and heart disease and what you can do to get high cholesterol and blood pressure under control… If you have diabetes, you are 2-4 times more likely to die of heart disease. Too much glucose in the blood can damage many parts of the body, such as the heart, blood vessels, eyes and kidneys. Heart and blood vessel disease can lead to heart attacks and strokes, the leading causes of death for people with diabetes. Two major types of heart and blood vessel disease, also called cardiovascular disease, are common in people with diabetes: coronary artery disease (CAD) and cerebral vascular disease. People with diabetes are also at risk for heart failure. Narrowing or blockage of the blood vessels in the legs, a condition called peripheral arterial disease, can also occur. People with type 2 diabetes also have high rates of high blood pressure, lipid problems and obesity, which contribute to their high rates of cardiovascular disease. How blood vessels get clogged Several things, including having diabetes, can make your blood cholesterol level too high. Cholesterol is a substance that is made by the body and used for many important functions. It’s also found in some food derived from animals. When cholesterol is too high, the insides of large blood vessels become narrowed or clogged. This problem is called atherosclerosis. Narrowed and clogged blood vessels make it harder for enough blood to get to all parts of your body. This condition can cause problems. When blood vessels become narrowed and clogged, you can have serious health problems, including: Chest pain, also called angina When you have angina, you feel pain in your chest, arms, shoulders or back. You may feel the pain more when your heart beats faster, such as when you exercise. The pain may go away when you rest. You also may sweat a lot and feel very weak. If you do not get treatment, chest pain may happen more often. If diabetes has damaged your heart nerves, you may not feel the chest pain. If you have chest pain with activity, contact your doctor. Heart attack A heart attack happens when a blood vessel in or near your heart becomes blocked. Then your heart muscle can't get enough blood. When an area of your heart muscle stops working, your heart becomes weaker. During a heart attack, you may have chest pain along with nausea, indigestion, extreme weakness, and sweating. If you have chest pain that persists, call 911. Delay in getting treatment may make a heart attack worse. The warning signs of a heart attack include: Chest pain or discomfort Pain or discomfort in your arms, back, jaw or neck Indigestion or stomach pain Shortness of breath Sweating Nausea Light-headedness Or, you may have no warning signs at all. Warning signs may come and go. If you have any of these warning signs, call 911 right away. Getting prompt treatment can reduce damage to the heart. Stroke A stroke can happen when the blood supply to your brain is blocked. Then your brain can be damaged. Depending on the part of the brain that is damaged, a stroke can cause: Sudden weakness or numbness of your face, arm, or leg on one side of your body Sudden confusion, trouble talking or trouble understanding Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or trouble walking Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes or sudden double vision Sudden severe headache TIA, or transient ischemic attack TIAs are caused by a temporary blockage of a blood vessel to the brain. This blockage leads to a brief, sudden change in brain function, such as temporary numbness or weakness on one side of the body. Sudden changes in brain function also can lead to loss of balance, confusion, blindness in one or both eyes, double vision, difficulty speaking or a severe headache. However, most symptoms disappear quickly and permanent damage is unlikely. If symptoms do not resolve in a few minutes, you could have a stroke. The occurrence of a TIA means that a person is at risk for a stroke in the future. If you have any of these warning signs, call 911 right away. Getting care for a TIA may reduce or prevent a stroke. Getting prompt treatment for a stroke can reduce the damage to the brain and improve chances for recovery. How narrowed blood vessels cause high blood pressure Narrowed blood vessels leave a smaller opening for blood to flow through. Having narrowed blood vessels is like turning on a garden hose and holding your thumb over the opening. The smaller opening makes the water shoot out with more pressure. In the same way, narrowed blood vessels lead to high blood pressure. Other factors, such as kidney problems and being overweight – common in people with diabetes – also can lead to high blood pressure. Many people with diabetes also have high blood pressure. If you have heart, eye, or kidney problems from diabetes, high blood pressure can make them worse. You will see your blood pressure written with two numbers separated by a slash. For example, your reading might be 120/70, said as "120 over 70." For people with diabetes, the target is to keep the first number below 130 and the second number below 80. If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor how to lower it. Your doctor may ask you to take blood pressure medicine every day. Some types of blood pressure medicine can also help keep your kidneys healthy. You may also be able to control your blood pressure by: Eating more fruits and vegetables Consuming less salt and high-sodium foods Losing weight if you need to Being physically active Not smoking Limiting alcoholic drinks How clogged blood vessels can hurt legs and feet Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), can happen when the openings in your blood vessels become narrow and your legs and feet don't get enough blood. You may feel pain in your legs when you walk or exercise. Some people also have numbness or tingling in their feet or legs or have sores that heal slowly. What can I do to prevent or control PAD? Don't smoke. Keep blood glucose and blood pressure under control. Keep blood fats close to normal. Be physically active. Ask your doctor if you should take aspirin every day. You can do a lot to manage diabetes, heart disease and stroke, including: Keep your blood glucose under control. You can see if your blood glucose is under control by having an A1C test at least twice a year. The A1C test tells you your average blood glucose for the past 2-3 months. The target for most people with diabetes is below 7. In some people with diabetes and heart disease or other special circumstances, their doctor may recommend slightly higher levels of A1C. Keep your blood pressure under control. Have it checked at every doctor visit. The target for most people with diabetes is below 130/80. Keep your cholesterol under control. Have it checked at least once a year. The targets for most people with diabetes are: LDL (low-density or bad) cholesterol: below 100 HDL (high-density or good) cholesterol: above 40 in men and above 50 in women Triglycerides – another type of fat in the blood: below 150 Make physical activity a part of your daily routine. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. Check with your doctor to learn what activities are best for you. Take a 30-minute walk every day. Or walk for 10 minutes after each meal. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Park at the far end of the lot. Make sure the foods you eat are "heart-healthy." Include foods high in fiber, such as oat bran, oatmeal, whole-grain breads and cereals, fruits, and vegetables. Cut back on foods high in saturated fat or cholesterol, such as meats, butter, dairy products with fat, eggs, shortening, lard, and foods with palm oil or coconut oil. Limit foods with trans fat, such as snack foods and commercial baked goods. Lose weight if you need to. If you’re overweight, try to exercise most days of the week. See a registered dietitian for help in planning meals and lowering the fat and calorie content of your diet to reach and maintain a healthy weight. If you smoke, quit. Smoking doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes. Your doctor can tell you about ways to help you quit smoking. Take medications as directed by your doctor. Ask your doctor whether you should take an aspirin every day. Studies have shown that taking a low dose of aspirin every day can help reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Myth vs. Fact: How Much Do You Know About Diabetes? In the United States alone, 23.6 million people have diabetes. And 5.6 million of them don’t even know it. Unfortunately, misinformation about diabetes is rampant – and mixing up the facts about this disease can have dire consequences.