When you have diabetes, you are more likely to develop heart disease (cardiovascular disease) or blood vessel problems than someone who does not have it. In fact, your risk is about twice that of a non-diabetic, if you are a man. And, if you are a woman, your risk is about four times that of a non-diabetic.
bout heart disease A When your coronary arteries (the arteries in and around your heart) become clogged by cholesterol and fat deposits, they narrow and do not allow enough blood and oxygen through to your heart. This lack of blood and oxygen damages your heart muscle. This is cardiovascular disease. You may also hear it called: • Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) • Coronary heart disease (CHD) • Coronary artery disease (CAD) or just • Heart disease
With the odds against you, you need to know just what you can do to reduce the risks. This brochure can help you learn your risks. It will teach you: • about heart disease and what it means • how diabetes and heart disease are related • why having diabetes makes you more likely to have problems • the things to do to help reduce your risks
Many of the risk factors for heart disease are related to your lifestyle and environment, like: • being overweight • having high blood cholesterol levels • having low HDL (good) cholesterol levels • having unmanaged high blood pressure
nd the connection is A Not keeping your blood sugar levels in your target range causes high blood sugar. This, in turn, damages the walls of your blood vessels. They get hard and stiff. When this happens blood cannot flow through them well.
To reduce your risks: • Keep your blood sugar in your target range. • Take your meds or insulin when and how you should. • If you have high blood pressure, get it under control. • Keep your weight in a healthy range.
• not being active • smoking or being around smokers a lot • having unmanaged diabetes And, these other factors may also lead to heart disease:
hat you can do! W
artery
With type 2 diabetes, you may only need medicine at certain times—like when you’re under a lot of stress or when you have an infection.
Your blood sugar goals are:
less than 180 mg/dl
• Don’t smoke or be around others who do.
2 hours after meals
less than 140 mg/dl
• being depressed
• Control what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat.
Having uncontrolled diabetes increases the levels of cholesterol and fat in your blood. And, high levels of cholesterol and fat lead to these fatty deposits building up.
Self-testing your blood sugar is vital in managing your diabetes. It shows how your plan is working.
1 hour after meals
• Learn to control your stress.
• having high homocysteine and CRP (C-reactive protein) levels in your blood
If you have type 1 diabetes, you need to inject insulin. If you have type 2 diabetes, you may not need any medicine. Or, you may need to take pills, inject insulin or do both.
Fasting before meals
• not managing stress
• drinking too much alcohol
ake your medicine T
• If you have high cholesterol levels, reduce the fat and cholesterol in your diet.
• Exercise regularly. fatty deposits
now your blood K sugar levels
At bedtime
80–120 mg/dl
C ontrol your blood pressure When you have diabetes, controlling your blood pressure helps to prevent long-term complications. Therefore, your goal is to keep your blood pressure under 130 over 80.
Take your medicine or insulin as your treatment plan says to. And, don’t stop unless your doctor or nurse tells you to.
100–140 mg/dl
A Hemoglobin A1c test (A1c) measures the amount of sugar in your blood over the last 3 months. It is a way for your doctor or nurse to have a very up-to-date look at your blood sugar control. It does not replace self-testing your blood sugar on a regular basis. A good score is 6.5% - 7% or less. What’s yours? _____
High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease in everyone, not just for you. But, because you have diabetes, you are twice as likely to have high blood pressure as someone who does not have diabetes. To control your blood pressure, make healthy choices about: • what you eat and drink • exercising regularly • keeping a healthy weight • not smoking • taking blood pressure medicine (if you need to)
ontrol your weight C As your weight increases, your blood pressure rises. Being overweight also makes your body work harder to try to control your blood sugar. Keeping your weight in a healthy range can:
• reduce your risk of heart disease
Smoking, or using other tobacco products, puts you at a higher risk for heart disease. When you have diabetes and you smoke, the chance of having blood vessel problems is much higher too.
• lowering your bad cholesterol
Tobacco smoke (yours or someone else’s):
• reducing stress
• stop smoking • take cholesterol lowering drugs (if needed) Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. There is little or no cholesterol or fat in these, and they contain fiber.
• narrows blood vessels throughout your body • can cause artery spasms • scars your lungs and reduces the oxygen in your body • increases your heart rate • lowers your good cholesterol • shortens your lifespan
Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc.
Atlanta, GA 800-241-4925 Providing Quality Health Education Materials Since 1973 Copyright © 2005 Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc. DO NOT DUPLICATE.
Cholesterol occurs naturally in your blood and helps carry fats through your blood vessels. Some cholesterol is good, but some is bad and leads to fatty buildup in your arteries.
• lose weight (if you need to)
You can lose about 1 pound a week, if you cut back 500 calories a day and do 30 minutes of exercise most days.
Product # 626
e more active B
…or be around others who are smoking.
• be more active
Ask your doctor or nurse what a healthy weight is for you. If you need to lose weight, the best way to lose (and keep it off) is to lose it slowly. To do this, you need to use up more calories than you eat.
on’t smoke D
The first step in reducing your cholesterol is to change your eating habits.
Eating less saturated fat and high cholesterol foods and eating more fiber is the way to go. You may also need to:
• lower your blood pressure, and
®
ower your cholesterol L
Not smoking is one of the best things you can do for your heart and coronary arteries.
Regular exercise can help reduce your risk for having heart disease and stroke by:
elax and control stress R Stress can affect your blood sugar control. Uncontrolled stress also puts you at risk for heart disease. So, reducing stress is an important part of managing your diabetes.
• raising your good cholesterol • lowering your blood pressure • reducing excess weight
A healthy meal plan is very much the same for everyone—those with diabetes or heart disease as well as those who don’t have it. For you, monitoring how many carbohydrates you eat at each meal can help control your blood sugar levels. It is the best way to keep your blood sugar in a good range. And, it will help reduce your risk for heart disease, too. The TLC plan is a healthy way of eating for the whole family. It is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and is based on your calorie needs. Ask your doctor or nurse how many calories are right for you and write that here ___________.
• toning and strengthening your muscles, including your heart
• lowering your blood sugar Talk with your doctor or nurse about an exercise plan that is best for you.
E at healthy
You have some control over how you react to the stress you face. You can:
Watch your calories and then follow these tips: • Between 45% - 55% of your calories should be carbs. Keep track of the carbs you eat (1 serving of carbs = 12-15 grams). • 25% - 35% or less of calories should come from fats and less than 7% from saturated fats. Cut down on fatty meats (but if you do eat them, broil, bake or grill them. Cut away fat before you cook them). • Eat no more than 200 milligrams of cholesterol a day. Know the serving sizes of the foods you eat (read food labels). • You need 20 - 30 grams of fiber a day. Choose fruits, vegetables and whole grains more often. • About 15% of your calories should be in proteins.
• learn to relax • learn to accept what you cannot change • fix problems you have some control over • get help or support from others when you need it How you control your stress is up to you. Your goal is to learn to control it and not let it control you.
There is no cure for diabetes yet. So, until there is, do your part in controlling your diabetes to reduce your odds of having heart disease too.
ake the connection Between diabetes & heart disease