Infographic: How Diabetes Affects your Heart?

Posted on April 9, 2019

Diabetes is always intrinsically connected to cardiac health. However, not a lot of people are well aware of the details as to why this is so. With the help of technology, this is now easily be addressed with the data about the connection between diabetes and heart diseases already being readily available in various mediums online.

The best example of this is the following infographic which is packed with all the necessary information you need about the close relationship of the two major chronic conditions. It is not a coincidence that two are the most prevalent ailments in these modern times. The infographic will reveal a couple of intriguing facts about this topic with the help of numerous statistics that have been gathered through the years and up to recent times.

Infographic: How Diabetes Affects Your Heart?

Diabetes is a chronic, incurable deficiency that occurs when the body doesn’t produce any or enough insulin, leading to an excess of glucose in the blood.

If Diabetes goes unmanageable it can start to damage your blood vessels and nerves that control your heart.

Types of Diabetes:

• Type 1 Diabetes: Occurs when the body fails to produce insulin.
• Type 2 Diabetes: Occurs when the body does not fully respond to insulin.
• Gestational Diabetes: Occurs in pregnant women when the body becomes less sensitive to insulin.

How to Lower Risk of Heart Disease when you have Diabetes?

Control the ABCs of Diabetes

A for the A1C Test

• A test that measures blood sugar level for the past 3 months.
• Blood Glucose Level < 7%

B is for Blood Pressure

• The higher your blood pressure, the harder your heart has to work.
• Blood Pressure Levels < 130/80 mm Hg.

C is for Cholesterol

• “Bad” cholesterol, or LDL, builds up and clogs your arteries.
• LDL Cholesterol Level < 100 mg/dL

Other Factors

• Stay Active
• Maintain a Healthy Weight
• Make Healthy Food Choices
• Stop Smoking
• Get Enough Sleep
• Manage Stress

Food to Eat for Diabetes and Heart Health

• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Beans
• Nuts
• Whole Grains
• Berries
• Apples
• Avocados
• Cauliflower

Did You Know?

• Nearly 2 out of 3 people with diabetes have high blood pressure.
• When a person with diabetes also has high BP, the risk for cardiovascular disease doubles.
• 2 out of 3 people with diabetes die of heart disease or stroke.
• Smoking doubles the risk of heart disease in people with diabetes.
• Heart disease is the number one cause of death among people with type 2 diabetes.

Tags: diabetes, gestational diabetes, heart disease, heart disease infographic, heart health, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes