Limit Sugars
Diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The type of diabetes that adults most commonly develop is "type 2." Many people with diabetes have other conditions that increase their chance of developing heart disease and stroke, such as family history, obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
If you have diabetes, you are two times more likely to have heart disease or stroke as someone without diabetes. Those with diabetes tend to develop heart disease or have strokes at an earlier age than other people. Women who have not gone through menopause usually have less risk of heart disease than men of the same age. But women of all ages with diabetes are at increased risk of heart disease because diabetes cancels out the protective effects of being a woman in child-bearing years.
Diabetes can be detected with a blood sugar test. If you have diabetes, it is important to control your sugar or blood glucose levels, your blood pressure, and your cholesterol to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
The American Diabetes Association and the American College of Cardiology have created a program, "Make the Link! Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke" that provides more information on preventing a heart attack and stroke. Check it out at http://www.diabetes.org/heart-disease-stroke.jsp.
More healthy living tips:
- Eat Healthy
- Get Active
- Lose Weight
- Don't Smoke
- Limit Sugars
- Manage Stress
