Both diabetes and heart disease are two extremely prevalent conditions in our society. Most people believe the two to be completely seperate when there actually is a very real link.

Approximately 65% of people with type 2 diabetes will die from heart disease or stroke. Adults with type 2 diabetes are up to four times 4x more likely to develop heart disease. The American Heart Association has classified type 2 diabetes as one of seven controllable risk factors that can lead to cardiovascular disease.

The diabetes and heart disease connection

The answer is in associated conditions that arise from diabetes.  It’s estimated that close to 30 million Americans currently have type 2 diabetes, and many of those also experience hypertension, high cholesterol, and elevated blood sugar levels. Even as diabetes is treated and glucose levels are kept under control, diabetes patients with related conditions are still at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke.

High blood pressure, as well as diabetes, can be a danger alone.  Patients who have both more than double the risk of heart disease. Diabetics also often experience abnormal cholesterol levels. Both high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels are associated with insulin resistance, which occurs when the body produces insulin but does not use it effectively, causing glucose to build up in the patient’s blood instead of being distributed to and absorbed by the body’s cells.

While diabetes is genetic to a certain extent, diet and lifestyle are both major contributing factors as to whether or not someone who is predisposed to the condition actually ends up developing it. A poor diet often leads to obesity, which is not only known to contribute to the risk for heart disease, but has also been linked to insulin resistance as well. Highly related to obesity is a lack of physical activity, which only contributes more to the cycle of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Losing weight, staying active, and exercising frequently have all been shown to reduce blood pressure, increase insulin sensitivity, and decrease cardiovascular risk, and in many cases, delay the onset of type 2 diabetes or even prevent it entirely.

Diabetes in itself is highly treatable and readily addressed with lifestyle and diet adjustments. Though not completely reversible, many patients are able to experience a remission from the condition and find that addressing diabetes and its related conditions can be extremely beneficial towards one’s overall health, well-being, and lifespan.

Give Tampa Cardiovascular Associates a call today at 813-975-2800 or visit  www.tampacardio.com to learn how nutrition and lifestyle can address type 2 diabetes head-on, and if you are predisposed to diabetes or have insulin resistance, you can learn how to delay and possibly prevent these conditions from ever developing into the more serious conditions of cardiovascular disease and stroke.