What can I do to prevent heart disease and stroke?

You can do a lot to prevent heart disease and stroke

• Keep your blood glucose under control. You can see if it is under control by having an A1C test at least twice a year. The A1C test tells you your average blood glucose for the past 2 to 3 months. The target for most people is below 7.
  
  
• Keep your blood pressure under control. Have it checked at every doctor visit. The target for most people is below 130/80.
  
  
• Keep your cholesterol under control. Have it checked at least once a year. The targets for most people are
  
  
  • LDL (bad) cholesterol: below 100
  
  
  
  • HDL (good) cholesterol: above 40 in men and above 50 in women
  
  
  
  • Triglycerides (another type of fat in the blood): below 150

source: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/complications_heart/index.htm