Diabetes is a disorder that affects how your body processes sugar for energy. It can also raise your risk of developing problems with your heart and blood vessels, known as cardiovascular diseases (CVD). CVD is a leading cause of death and disability among people with diabetes, and it can affect various parts of the cardiovascular system, such as the coronary arteries, the heart muscle, the valves, the aorta, and the peripheral vessels. In this article, we will explore how diabetes and CVD are connected and what you can do to avoid or treat them.
How Diabetes Harms Your Blood Vessels
One of the main ways that diabetes increases your risk of CVD is by altering your metabolism, such as high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and abnormal cholesterol levels. These factors can damage the inner lining of your blood vessels, called the endothelium, and cause inflammation. This can result in a condition called atherosclerosis, which is the formation of fatty deposits or plaques in the walls of your arteries. Atherosclerosis can decrease or block the blood flow to different parts of your body, such as your heart, brain, and legs. Atherosclerosis is a common cause of CVD, such as coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, and cerebrovascular disease.
How Diabetes Raises Your Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
Another way that diabetes increases your risk of CVD is by affecting the structure and function of your blood vessels, making them more prone to rupture or clot. This can lead to serious events, such as heart attack or stroke. A heart attack occurs when a plaque in a coronary artery breaks and forms a blood clot, blocking the blood supply to the heart muscle. A stroke occurs when a plaque or a blood clot blocks the blood supply to a part of the brain. Diabetes can make these events more severe, as it can slow down the healing process and increase the chances of infection or complications.
How to Avoid or Treat Diabetes and CVD
Diabetes and CVD are closely related and can have a negative impact on each other. However, you can take steps to control your blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels, as well as adopt a healthy lifestyle, to avoid or delay the onset of CVD. You should also consult your doctor regularly and monitor your symptoms and risk factors.
According to Dr. Varun Bansal, an expert in MICS and Robotic Cardiac Surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, diabetes can cause many problems for the blood vessels and the heart. People with diabetes tend to have high blood sugar, low insulin sensitivity, and abnormal blood fats, which can damage the inner lining of the blood vessels and cause inflammation. These metabolic issues make the blood vessels more prone to developing hard deposits called plaques, which is a characteristic feature of CVD. Plaques can narrow or block the blood vessels, leading to various diseases such as heart attack, stroke, or poor blood flow to the limbs.
He also says that diabetes makes heart attack and stroke more likely, because the blood vessels become weaker and more damaged by diabetes, which makes the plaque problem worse. Diabetes also makes the blood more likely to clot, which can cause more problems for the heart and blood vessels.
Therefore, it is important for people with diabetes to take preventive measures to reduce their risk of CVD. This includes maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and taking prescribed medications. By doing so, they can improve their quality of life and avoid serious complications.
