Diabetes
High glucose levels in the blood affect the
walls of the arteries, making them more likely to develop fatty
deposits (atheroma).
Diabetes increases the damage done by some of the major
risk factors for coronary heart disease - smoking, high blood
pressure and high blood
cholesterol.
Type one diabetes
Your body cannot make insulin. This type usually affects
children and young adults.
Type two diabetes
Your body can’t produce enough insulin or it doesn’t work
properly. Type two diabetes is more common and tends to
develop gradually as people get older – usually after the age of
40. It's closely linked with:
Almost two million adults have been diagnosed with diabetes in
the UK, and this number is rising. And worryingly, type two
diabetes is now being diagnosed in younger people.
Some ethnic groups have a much higher rate of diabetes -
particularly people of African Caribbean and South Asian
origin.
What can I do?
If you don’t have diabetes, you can greatly reduce your risk of
developing it by controlling your weight and doing regular physical
activity.
If you do have diabetes, it’s very important to make sure that
you control your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. This
will help to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. You can also:
If you are diagnosed with diabetes, you may also need to take
medication such as statins (a
cholesterol-lowering medicine) to help protect your heart.
