Diabetes and Heart Disease Are Related
Most people living with diabetes are aware that they have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. But the statistics can be truly staggering: Nearly two-thirds of people with diabetes have high blood pressure, and, according to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die of heart disease or have a stroke than people who don't have the condition.
The good news: Learning more about the link between heart disease and diabetes can help you take steps to help protect your heart and manage your diabetes.
How Diabetes and Heart Disease Are Related
The connection between diabetes and heart disease starts with high blood sugar levels. Over time, the high glucose in the bloodstream can damage the arteries, causing them to become stiff and hard. Fatty material that builds up on the inside of these blood vessels, a condition known as atherosclerosis. This can eventually block blood flow to the heart or brain, leading to heart attack or stroke. Your risk of heart disease with diabetes is further elevated if you also have a family history of cardiovascular disease or stroke.
- 1- People with diabetes develop cardiovascular disease at a much earlier age than others.
- 2- Heart disease that leads to heart attack or stroke is the leading cause of death among
- people with diabetes.
- 3- A person who has diabetes has the same risk of heart attack as someone who is not
- diabetic, but already had a heart attack.
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