Diabetes and heart disease

What are the consequences of having diabetes? 

Over time, having blood sugar levels that are consistently above the normal range can lead to serious complications, including: 

• Vision loss 
• Kidney disease 
• Nerve problems 
• Foot and leg problems 
• An increased risk of stroke and heart disease. 

How does diabetes affect your heart? 

Blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease 

Gestational diabetes and future risk

How you can reduce your risk of developing heart disease 

To manage or reduce your chances of developing heart disease if you’re living with diabetes, it’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and manage your diabetes effectively. Ways to do this include:

• Taking your medication to control diabetes as prescribed by your doctor 
• Eating a varied diet of healthy foods 
• Being physically active (ideally for at least 30 minutes, most days of the week) 
• Managing your blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels 
• Being smoke-free 
• Limiting your alcohol intake. 

Get regular Heart Health Checks 

The best way of finding out your risk of heart disease is by having a regular Heart Health Check (HHC) with your doctor. 

• As diabetes is an important risk factor for heart disease, your doctor will check your blood sugar levels. 
• They’ll also work with you to lower your risk of diabetes through lifestyle changes such as exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, following a heart healthy diet and possibly taking medications. 

For support and more information