Am I at an increased risk of having a heart attack if I have diabetes?

With February being American Heart Health Month, it is important to talk about the relationship between cardiovascular health and diabetes. Did you know that when you are diagnosed with diabetes (even if your diabetes is controlled) you have 2-4 times the risk of developing a heart attack? The American Heart Association considers diabetes to be one of the seven major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Overall, CVD events are more common and occur earlier in patients with T1DM than in nondiabetic populations; women with T1DM are more likely to have a CVD event than are healthy women. 

What can you do minimize your risk?

• Control your blood pressure. When patients have both hypertension and diabetes, which is a common combination, their risk for cardiovascular disease doubles.

•   Obesity – losing at least 5-7% of your body weight can improve your cardiovascular risk

• Lack of physical activity – Aim for At least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days per week for a total of 150

• Control your diabetes – speak to your doctor, but a general goal for most people is to have A1C under 7

• Stop smoking - Smoking increased the risk of  heart disease and stroke regardless of diabetes.