People with diabetes are at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Poorly controlled blood sugars and lack of physical activity are two strong controllable contributing factors.
“Over time, high blood glucose from diabetes can damage your blood vessels that control blood flow to your heart.. The longer you have diabetes, the higher the chances that you will develop heart disease. … In adults with diabetes, the most common causes of death are heart disease and stroke.” https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/heart-disease-stroke
Totally about diabetes is TOTALLY ABOUT helping you control these high-risk factors to prevent you from developing CVD. You don’t have to be the next statistic. Get it under control with delicious healthy eating and fun physical activity with friends and family.
It is important to understand that because you have diabetes you are at higher risk for elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol making you more likely to succumb to stroke or heart disease.
You don’t have to feel overwhelmed or afraid because these things are controllable. If you are struggling to stay motivated and keep up with your health needs please consider reaching out to a mentor, coach, or community that can take the stress out of your health journey.
Remaining vigilant in healthy meal planning, scheduling time for reasonable physical activity, and minding your diabetic ABC’s can be pleasant when done in community with others.
Consider the ABC’s of diabetes below and make a promise with yourself to stick to them.
- A is for the A1C test. The A1C test shows your average blood glucose level over the past 3 months. This is different from the blood glucose checks that you do every day. The higher your A1C number, the higher your blood glucose levels have been during the past 3 months. High levels of blood glucose can harm your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, feet, and eyes.
- B is for blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of your blood against the wall of your blood vessels. If your blood pressure gets too high, it makes your heart work too hard. High blood pressure can cause a heart attack or stroke and damage your kidneys and eyes.
- C is for cholesterol. You have two kinds of cholesterol in your blood: LDL and HDL. LDL or “bad” cholesterol can build up and clog your blood vessels. Too much bad cholesterol can cause a heart attack or stroke. HDL or “good” cholesterol helps remove the “bad” cholesterol from your blood vessels.
- S is for stop smoking. Not smoking is especially important for people with diabetes because both smoking and diabetes narrow blood vessels, so your heart has to work harder.
Ask your health care provider what your health goals should be and connect with Totally About Diabetes for help achieving those goals. “The American Heart Association considers diabetes to be one of the seven major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease.” You don’t have to be the next statistic. Get your diabetes under control. Avoid heart disease today! https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/diabetes/why-diabetes-matters/cardiovascular-disease–diabetes
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