• Diabetes

    Diabetes

    Having diabetes greatly increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. If you have diabetes, it is vitally important for you to work with your doctor and other members of your health care team to control your blood sugar and reduce other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

  • Heart and Vascular Disease

    Diabetes and Symptoms of Heart Attack, Stroke, and Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

    Diabetes increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, as well as the risk of blockages in arteries leading to the legs or kidneys. Additionally, diabetes can change the symptoms of a heart attack, making the heart attack harder to diagnose.

    Treatment and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease If You Have Diabetes

    Many people with diabetes develop at least mild cardiovascular disease. Therefore, treatment consists of a strong program for preventing further damage to the heart and blood vessels, coupled with specific therapies for problems that already exist. Whether plaque build-up affects the arteries of the heart, legs, brain or other organs, effective prevention and treatment are likely to involve lifestyle changes, such as diet, exercise, stress management and quitting smoking; medications to control blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels; and possibly daily aspirin to ward off unwanted blood clots.

    Cardiovascular Complications of Diabetes

    The relationship between diabetes and cardiovascular disease is clear, but the causes are complex. Over time, too much glucose in the blood damages nerves and blood vessels. This, in turn, can cause heart disease and stroke. In addition, damage to the blood vessels in the legs can result in poor circulation and increase the risk of foot ulcers and amputations, while damage to the blood vessels that supply blood to the kidneys can cause kidney failure and damage to the small blood vessels in the eye can eventually cause blindness.

  • Treatment and Prevention

    Risk Factor Modification for Women

    By now you've probably heard or read that heart disease is the #1 killer of women. But unless something causes you pain or interferes with your day-to-day activities, like most of us, you probably put it out of your mind. You might think, "I'm too young," "I exercise every day," or "I've always had really low cholesterol." Please don't think that for whatever reason you are uniquely immune.

  • Tests and Diagnostics

    Diabetes and Diagnosing Cardiovascular Disease

    If you have diabetes, your primary care physician may already have talked with you about the importance of taking care of your heart and blood vessels. If not, you should bring up the topic and ask your doctor to evaluate how high your risk for cardiovascular disease is and what you should do to prevent a heart attack, stroke, or peripheral artery disease (PAD).