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How Can Diabetic Heart Disease Be Prevented?
Taking action to control risk factors can help prevent or delay heart disease in people who have diabetes and in those who don't. Your risk of heart disease increases with the number of risk factors you have.
One step you can take is to adopt a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle should be part of a lifelong approach to healthy living. A healthy lifestyle includes:
- Following a healthy diet
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Being physically active
- Quitting smoking
- Managing stress
You also should know your family history of diabetes and heart disease. If you or someone in your family has diabetes, heart disease, or both, let your doctor know.
Your doctor may prescribe medicines to control certain risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. Take all of your medicines exactly as your doctor advises.
People who have diabetes also need good blood sugar control. Controlling your blood sugar level is good for heart health. Ask your doctor about the best ways to control your blood sugar level.
For more information about lifestyle changes and medicines, go to "How Is Diabetic Heart Disease Treated?"
Clinical trials are research studies that explore whether a medical strategy, treatment, or device is safe and effective for humans. To find clinical trials that are currently underway for Diabetic Heart Disease, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.
March 12, 2013
Benefits of quitting smoking outpace risk of modest weight gain
The improvement in cardiovascular health that results from quitting smoking far outweighs the limited risks to cardiovascular health from the modest amount of weight gained after quitting, reports a National Institutes of Health-funded community study. The study found that former smokers without diabetes had about half as much risk of developing cardiovascular disease as current smokers, and this risk level did not change when post-cessation weight gain was accounted for in the analysis.
The NHLBI updates Health Topics articles on a biennial cycle based on a thorough review of research findings and new literature. The articles also are updated as needed if important new research is published. The date on each Health Topics article reflects when the content was originally posted or last revised.
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