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Healthy Eating by Shelby Shelby

National Diabetes Month—Take Diabetes to Heart

Did you know that 1 in 10 Americans have diabetes? Out of those 30.3 million Americans with diabetes, 1 in 4 don’t know they have it. Diabetes is a disease that causes your blood sugar to run higher than is recommended. While this sounds harmless, high blood sugar levels can cause damage to the body, especially the blood vessels. This damage leads to some of the major complications of diabetes—kidney disease, vision loss, loss of feeling in extremities, and heart disease. In fact, adults with diabetes are twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke. This is why the focus of National Diabetes Month in 2019 is on the link between diabetes and heart health.

While the statistics and consequences of diabetes can be scary, there is good news! Diabetes can be treated and managing your Diabetes ABCs can help lower your risk of heart disease and stroke:

A stands for A1C—this is a blood test that tells you how well you are managing your blood sugar. Work with your doctor and get your A1C checked regularly to see if your blood sugars are under control. Follow your physician’s advice and take medication as recommended to keep your A1C at a healthy level. 

B stands for Blood Pressure—having high blood pressure puts strain on your heart and can lead to heart disease or stroke. Folks with diabetes have a higher risk of high blood pressure which not only affects the heart, but also the kidneys and eyes. Ask your doctor about your blood pressure and what you can do to keep it at a healthy level. 

C stands for Cholesterol. There are two major types of cholesterol: LDL and HDL. The LDL cholesterol is referred to as “bad” cholesterol and can cause plaque buildup in your blood vessels which increases your risk of heart disease or stroke. HDL cholesterol is called the “good” cholesterol because it removes plaque from your blood vessels reducing your risk. Work with your doctor to lower your bad cholesterol and raise your good cholesterol to keep a healthy heart. 

S in ABCs stands for smoking. Smoking narrows your blood vessels and causes the heart to become overworked. When you stop smoking you lower your risk of not only heart disease and stroke, but also amputation, loss of vision, and kidney disease.

 

Take time this year to check your risk of diabetes and to ask your doctor about the ABCs of diabetes to take diabetes to heart.


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