Diabetes and Heart Disease: The Connection You Shouldn’t Ignore

If you have diabetes, protecting your heart is just as important as managing your blood sugar.

The good news is that, like diabetes, you can control your risk for heart disease. Here’s what you need to know about the connection between diabetes and heart disease and practical steps you can take to protect your heart for years to come.

How Does Diabetes Affect the Heart?

Diabetes occurs when your blood sugar is too high. Over time, sugar in the blood can “stick” to the walls of certain blood vessels, which can damage and narrow them, limiting blood flow to the heart and brain. Fat and plaque can also build up in those blood vessels, leading to a condition called coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD limits blood flow to the heart and brain, which can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

“Diabetes raises your risk for heart disease because, over time, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves in the heart,” says Dr. Francis O’Neill, a board-certified and fellowship-trained interventional cardiologist at Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists. “In addition, people with diabetes often have heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. All of these can accelerate the plaque buildup that causes heart attacks.”

Read More: How to Lower Your A1C Naturally

Why People with Diabetes Face a Higher Risk for Heart Disease

Beyond damage to blood vessels, diabetes often develops alongside some of the most common risk factors for heart disease:

• High blood pressure — Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood against artery walls. Like high blood sugar, high blood pressure can also damage artery walls over time, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes as well as vision problems and kidney disease (two other diabetes complications).
• Unhealthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels — Cholesterol and triglycerides are two types of fat in the blood. There are two types of cholesterol: “good” HDL cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol. People with diabetes often have high levels of LDL, low levels of HDL and high triglycerides. This unhealthy balance can add to plaque buildup and hardening of the arteries.
• Carrying excess weight — Being overweight can make managing high blood sugar more difficult and contribute to heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol.

Together, these factors compound the risk posed by high blood sugar. Adults with diabetes have about twice the risk of heart disease as adults who do not have diabetes. The good news is that many of these risk factors respond well to the same lifestyle changes that help manage diabetes, so the steps you already take to care for your blood sugar can also help you care for your heart.

Symptoms of Heart Disease in People With Diabetes

Heart disease rarely causes symptoms in its earliest stages, whether or not it’s linked to diabetes. As heart disease progresses, though, you may experience:

• Fatigue
• Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmia)
• Shortness of breath

These, along with chest pain or discomfort, can also be signs of a heart attack, so call 911 if they develop.

It’s worth noting that some people with diabetes may not feel chest pain or discomfort. The condition can damage nerves in such a way that dulls or masks chest pain, making it easier to miss warning signs of a heart attack.

Read More: Symptoms of Heart Disease You May Be Mistaking for Something Else

How Heart Disease Is Diagnosed in People With Diabetes

Regular checkups with your primary care provider or endocrinologist are vital for detecting early warning signs of heart disease, like high blood pressure. Your provider will also ask about your family history. Having a family member with heart disease or who had a heart attack before age 50 may increase your risk.

If your provider sees signs that suggest heart disease, they may order various heart tests or recommend seeing a cardiologist. They may also suggest a coronary calcium score, an imaging test that can measure how much plaque buildup you have in your arteries.

Treatment Options and Ways to Protect Your Heart

Protecting your heart when you have diabetes usually means following the same healthy habits that help you manage high blood sugar:

• Eating a healthy diet
• Exercising regularly
• Getting sufficient, high-quality sleep
• Managing stress
• Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight

Your provider may also recommend:

• Keeping your A1C in a healthy range — Your A1C is your blood sugar average over three months. An ideal range for many people with diabetes is usually below 7%.
• Lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol levels — Your provider can help you set healthy targets for each and suggest lifestyle changes or medications to help you manage them.
• Quitting smoking — Like diabetes, cigarette smoking damages your blood vessels, so kicking the habit is one of the best ways to protect your heart.

The Bottom Line on Protecting Your Heart

Diabetes roughly doubles your risk for heart disease because high blood sugar can damage blood vessels over time, and it often occurs alongside other risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Managing blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol together, alongside regular physical activity, is the most effective way to protect your heart.

Remember:

1. High blood sugar can damage blood vessels and speed up plaque buildup, raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
2. Common risk factors like high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, obesity and inactivity often compound the risk diabetes already creates.
3. Managing blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol together, alongside physical activity, offers the strongest protection for your heart.

Have diabetes? Make your heart health a priority, too. Learn more about requesting an appointment with the heart and vascular team at Beaufort Memorial and protect your heart for years to come.