by Tanner Lambson

Most of us are aware of diabetes, a chronic disease that affects a person’s blood sugar levels. What many of us do not know is that there is a direct link between diabetes and heart disease. Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease: people living with diabetes are twice as likely to die of cardiovascular disease or stroke as people without diabetes, and about 1 in 3 Americans with diabetes also has some form of cardiovascular disease.

What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease that affects the level of sugar (also known as glucose) in the blood. Glucose is fuel for our bodies, providing us with the energy we need to live and move each day. Diabetes interrupts your body’s ability to regulate the level of glucose in the blood and your body’s ability to use glucose, leading to too much sugar in the blood – and too much sugar in the blood can cause major health problems.

Diabetes develops when the body doesn’t create enough insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. There are a few different types of diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the cells that produce insulin, and the body stops producing insulin all together. The cause of type 1 diabetes is not known, and it typically begins in childhood or adolescence.
• Type 2 diabetes is a preventable disease in which your body both produces less insulin than it should, and responds poorly to any insulin that is produced. There is a genetic factor to developing Type 2 diabetes, but it can be prevented or significantly delayed by eating a healthy diet and exercising.
• Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women and poses risks to both mothers and babies. About 8% of women will develop gestational diabetes, and those who do are at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. All pregnant women should have a gestational diabetes test between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy (or earlier, if your doctor thinks you may be at higher risk).

How does diabetes affect the heart? Diabetes is a disease of the blood, and of course, our cardiovascular system is responsible for circulating our blood. High blood sugar puts a strain on the blood vessels over time in various ways, and this strain causes high blood pressure; 2 out of 3 people with Type 2 diabetes also have high blood pressure. In addition, diabetes can negatively impact the body’s cholesterol levels, and insulin resistance can lead to obesity, both of which are major risk factors for heart disease.

So, what can you do to reduce your risk of both heart disease and diabetes? You have plenty of options! One major thing you can do to prevent heart disease and diabetes is exercise. Try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, and combine that with at least two days a week of muscle-strengthening activities (think push-ups, planks, or squats—all exercises you can do without a pricey gym membership!). If that sounds like an overwhelming time commitment, start small: try taking the stairs instead of the elevator once a day, or do five squats in the morning and five push-ups in the evening.

Another great way to prevent heart disease and diabetes is to follow a heart-healthy diet. The only diet scientifically proven to prevent heart disease is the Mediterranean diet – you can find a food list and meal plan for that diet here.

Again, if overhauling your diet sounds daunting, start small! For example, if you drink soda, try swapping out one soda a day for sparkling water; if you like to have a sugary snack for an afternoon pick-me-up, try eating a piece of fruit each day for a week instead. Building up small healthy habits over time makes it easier to start, and easier to keep going.
Finally, you should have bloodwork done at a doctor’s office, clinic, or pharmacy once a year. Blood tests are the main way to discover diabetes and prediabetes (a condition that can indicate a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes) and are performed as part of routine blood tests. Even if you don’t have a primary care physician, you can get routine bloodwork done at a CVS Minute Clinic and some urgent care facilities.

Awareness is the first step you can take to reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease. To find out more, visit the CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program here.