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If you have diabetes, you are at risk for heart disease.
One of the most life-threatening consequences of diabetes is heart disease. Most complications related to diabetes have to do with the way the heart pumps blood through the body. Diabetes can change the chemical makeup of some substances found in the blood, which can cause blood vessels to narrow or clog up.
A person with diabetes has the same risk of heart disease as someone who does not have diabetes, but has already had a heart attack. More than 65 percent of deaths in diabetes patients are attributed to heart and vascular disease.
If you feel that you are at an increased risk for heart and blood vessel disease, talk to your doctor about what can be done.
Learn What to Do to Reduce Your Risk
Small improvements in blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure and other test results can decrease your risk of heart and blood vessel disease. Changes to your lifestyle, such as exercise, weight loss and not smoking, can reduce your risk for heart disease, too.
WakeMed's Diabetes Management Program is here to help both patients in the hospital and people outside the hospital managing life with diabetes on a day-to-day basis. For more information about classes and counseling with a WakeMed diabetes educator or dietitian, please call 919-350-7292.
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