· CDE Mehandi Sharma
Diabetes and Your Heart
Heart disease is the complication of diabetes that affects the most people and gets talked about least. Adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke as adults without it.
The mechanism is straightforward: persistently high blood glucose damages blood vessels and the nerves that control the heart. It happens quietly, over years, without symptoms.
The three numbers that decide risk
Clinicians call these the diabetes ABCs, and they matter together rather than separately:
| What it is | Common goal | |
|---|---|---|
| A | A1C — average glucose over ~3 months | Below 7% for many people |
| B | Blood pressure | Below 140/90 mm Hg for most |
| C | Cholesterol | Set individually; a statin is often advised over 40 |
Blood sugar alone is not the whole job. A person with an excellent HbA1c and untreated blood pressure is not well protected. If you only ever discuss glucose at your appointments, ask about the other two.
What lowers the risk
- Stopping smoking — the single largest change available to a smoker with diabetes.
- Regular activity — the 150 minutes a week target.
- Taking blood pressure and cholesterol medicines as prescribed, including when you feel fine.
- Keeping weight, food and stress in a manageable place.