Article title: Keep your heart and blood vessels healthy: NIDDK
Conditions: diabetes, heart disease, heart, circulatory, Angina, heart attack, Cardiomyopathy, Stroke, transient ischemic attack, Peripheral vascular disease, cardiovascular disease
Source: NIDDK
| High blood sugar can cause heart and blood vessel problems. |
Too much sugar in the blood for a long time causes diabetes problems. This high blood sugar can damage many parts of the body, such as the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys. Diabetes problems can be scary, but there is a lot you can do to prevent them or slow them down.
This booklet is about heart and blood vessel problems caused by
diabetes. You will learn the things you can do each day and during the
year to stay healthy and prevent diabetes problems.
| Follow the healthy eating plan that you and your doctor or dietitian have worked out. Eat your meals and snacks at around the same times each day. | |
| Be active a total of 30 minutes most days. Ask your doctor what activities are best for you. | |
| Take your diabetes medicine at the same times each day. | |
| Check your blood sugar every day. Each time you check your blood sugar, write the number in your record book. Call your doctor if your numbers are too high or too low for 2 to 3 days. | |
| Check your feet every day for cuts, blisters, sores, swelling, redness, or sore toenails. | |
| Brush and floss your teeth and gums every day. | |
| Don't smoke. |
|
|
| Follow a healthy eating plan. |
|
Several things, including having diabetes, can increase your blood cholesterol too much. Cholesterol is a substance that is made by the body and used for many important functions. It is also found in some animal foods we eat. When cholesterol is too high, the insides of large blood vessels become clogged and narrowed. This problem is called atherosclerosis (ATH-uh-row-skluh-RO-sis).
Clogged and narrowed blood vessels make it harder for enough healthy blood to get to all parts of your body. This can cause one or more problems.
|
Healthy Blood
Vessel |
|
Clogged and Narrowed
Blood Vessel |
When arteries become clogged and narrowed, you may have one or more heart problems:
Clogged and narrowed blood vessels leave a smaller opening for blood to flow through. It is like turning on a garden hose and holding your thumb over the opening. The smaller opening makes the water shoot out with more pressure. In the same way, narrowed blood vessels lead to high blood pressure. Other factors, such as kidney problems and being overweight, also can lead to high blood pressure.
Diabetes and high blood pressure often go hand-in-hand. If you have heart, eye, or kidney problems from diabetes, high blood pressure can make them worse.
|
High
Pressure |
Low
Pressure |
|
|
You will see your blood pressure written with two numbers separated by a slash. For example: 120/70. Keep your first number below 130 and your second number below 85.
If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor how to lower it. Your doctor may ask you to take an ACE inhibitor. This type of blood pressure medicine is best for people with diabetes who have kidney problems because it helps keep the kidneys healthy.
To lower your blood pressure, your doctor may also ask you to lose weight; eat more fruits and vegetables; eat less salt and high-sodium foods such as canned soups, luncheon meats, salty snack foods, and fast foods; and drink less alcohol.
| To lower blood pressure, get to a healthy weight. |
A stroke happens when part of your brain is not getting enough blood and stops working. Depending on the part of the brain that is damaged, a stroke can cause
Sometimes, one or more of these warning signs may happen and then disappear. You might be having a "mini-stroke," also called a TIA (transient [TRAN-see-unt] ischemic [is-KEE-mik] attack). If you have any of these warning signs, tell your doctor right away.
Peripheral vascular (puh-RIF-uh-rul
VASK-yoo-ler) disease can happen when the openings in your blood vessels
become narrow and not enough blood gets to your legs and feet. You may
feel pain in your buttocks, the back of your legs, or your thighs when you
stand, walk, or exercise.
You also may need surgery to treat this problem.
If your numbers are not normal, ask your doctor if you should take medicine to make them normal.
Diabetes Teachers (nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and other health professionals)
To find a diabetes teacher near you, call the American Association of Diabetes Educators toll-free at 1-800-TEAMUP4 (1-800-832-6874), or look on the Internet at http://www.aadenet.org/ and click on "Find an Educator."
Recognized Diabetes Education Programs (teaching programs approved by the American Diabetes Association)
To find a program near you, call toll-free at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383), or see www.diabetes.org/education/edustate2.asp on the Internet.
Dietitians
Government
The "Prevent Diabetes Problems" series includes seven booklets that can help you learn more about how to prevent diabetes problems.
For free single printed copies of these booklets, call, write, fax, or email the
National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
1 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3560
Phone: (301) 654-3327
Fax: (301) 907-8906
Email: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/tools/mail_ndic.htm
The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse thanks the people who helped review or field-test this booklet.
| For American Association of
Diabetes Educators Lynn Grieger, R.D., C.D.E. Arlington, VT Celia Levesque, R.N., C.D.E. Montgomery, AL Teresa McMahon, Pharm.D., C.D.E. Seattle, WA Barbara Schreiner, R.N., M.N., C.D.E. Galveston, TX For American Diabetes Association Diabetes Research and Training Center |
Diabetes Research and Training
Center Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, IN Madelyn Wheeler, M.S., R.D., F.A.D.A., C.D.E. Diabetes Research and Training Center Grady Health System Health Care Financing |
Indian Health Service Albuquerque, NM Ruth Bear, R.D., C.D.E. Dorinda Bradley, R.N., C.D.E. Terry Fisher, R.N. Lorraine Valdez, R.N., C.D.E. Indian Health Service Medlantic Research Center Texas Diabetes Council |
1 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3560
Phone: (301) 654-3327
Fax: (301) 907-8906
Email: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/tools/mail_ndic.htm
The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1978, the clearinghouse provides information about diabetes to people with diabetes and to their families, health care professionals, and the public. NDIC answers inquiries; develops, reviews, and distributes publications; and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about diabetes.
Publications produced by the clearinghouse are carefully reviewed for scientific accuracy, content, and readability.
This e-text is not copyrighted. The clearinghouse encourages users of this e-pub to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.
NIH Publication No. 00-4283
May 2000
e-text posted: August 2000
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