Heart disease is the #1 cause of death for both men and women in the United States. If you have diabetes, your risk of developing heart disease, heart attack, or stroke is double that of someone who does not have diabetes. Diabetes/high blood sugar can damage the blood vessels and nerves of the heart, and increase your chances of having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high LDL (bad cholesterol). Knowing your risk factors and taking action to reduce your risk of developing heart disease, is crucial for you to live a long and healthy life. The measures you take to lessen your risk of heart disease will also help you manage and better control your diabetes – it’s a win-win!
There are risk factors for heart disease that are out of your control (unmodifiable), and some that you can control (modifiable). Unmodifiable risk factors include:
Ethnicity (Indigenous heritage, African and South Asian heritage)
Family history (if you have a parent or sibling who had heart disease, heart attack or stroke before the age of 55, you are at greater risk)
- Medical history
- Age (older age increases your risk, especially being over 65)
- Sex (the risk for women increases after menopause)
- Environmental and psychosocial factors (lack of resources, social support, access to healthy foods, low socioeconomic status, etc.)
Modifiable risk factors include:
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Poor diet
- Overweight/Obesity
- Lack of physical activity/exercise
Health conditions that increase your risk:
- High cholesterol (If you have diabetes, the 2023 ADA goals are to have an LDL cholesterol between 55mg/dL and 70mg/dL, depending on your individual cardiovascular risk)
- High blood pressure (If you have diabetes, the 2022 AHA goals are 130/80mmg/Hg or less)
- Depression/anxiety/social isolation
There are risk factors for heart disease that you have control over.
Smoking – If you smoke, even if you only smoke a few cigarettes per day, the very best thing you can do to decrease your risk of heart disease is to quit. Your risk of cardiovascular disease starts to decrease almost immediately upon quitting. Within one year, your risk of having a heart attack is dramatically reduced. Within five years, your risk of having a stroke is the same as someone who has never smoked. For assistance with quitting smoking, please talk to your healthcare provider and seek help.
RESOURCES FOR QUITTING l Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. l www.smokefree.gov l www.cdc.gov/tips
Excessive Alcohol Intake – There are studies that claim that drinking alcohol in moderation is good for your heart health. It is tricky to determine cause and effect regarding these reports. What we do know is that drinking excessive amounts of alcohol (equal to more than 1 drink per day for women, and more than 2 drinks per day for men), can cause harm to your heart and lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, and cardiomyopathy (weakening of the heart muscle). The extra calories in alcohol can also lead to weight gain which, in addition to increasing heart disease risk, can lead to poorer blood sugar management. To reduce your risk of developing heart disease, if you don’t drink alcohol, don’t start. If you do, stay within the recommended guidelines to protect your cardiovascular health (especially if you have diabetes or other health conditions which intensify your risk). Keep in mind that one drink means 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1oz of hard liquor). If you think you have a problem with alcohol, please talk to your healthcare provider and seek help.
Resources for assistance with quitting drinking:
https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/
Poor diet – Eating a diet high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, and excessive concentrated sweets (especially if you have diabetes) can lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, and excess weight, all of which contribute to the development of heart disease. Eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, fish, nuts, legumes, and whole grains, and avoiding fast food, sugary drinks and sugary foods can help reduce your risk. Talk to your healthcare provider and see a nutritionist or diabetes educator for more information about heart-healthy eating. Resources: MyPlate | U.S. Department of Agriculture
Weight – If you are overweight (BMI of 25 or over), losing weight can lessen your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and many other health conditions. If you have diabetes, losing weight can help you better manage your blood sugar. Some studies report that losing 10% of your body weight has disease-altering effects, improving diabetes outcomes, and likely improving long-term cardiovascular outcomes. Talk to your healthcare provider, as well as a nutritionist or diabetes educator for more information on healthy ways to lose weight, and about assisted weight loss if needed.
Lack of physical activity – Physical activity/exercise decreases your risk for developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. It makes your heart and lungs stronger, and decreases the risk factors which cause cardiac disease (HTN, high cholesterol). It decreases your risk of having a heart attack and the risk of cognitive decline in older individuals. It also reduces the risk and can improve symptoms of depression. The American Heart Association advises to get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise, and 2 strength training sessions per week. Please consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise regimen to find out which exercise regimen is right for you.
Resources:
Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease (cdc.gov)
Physical Activity and Your Heart – Benefits | NHLBI, NIH
Alcohol and Heart Health: Separating Fact from Fiction | Johns Hopkins Medicine
All Blogs are written by Professionals in the fields of Nutrition, Human Development and Diabetes.