This site contains information from government publications about keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy with diabetes that have been reformatted and reorganized. There are numerous links to the original documents.

Click here for the pdf version of "Keep your heart and blood vessels healthy."

Evite los problemas de la diabetes: Mantenga sanos el corazón y los vasos sanguíneos

la versión de pdf

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Too much glucose (sugar) in the blood for a long time can cause diabetes problems. This high blood glucose (also called blood sugar) can damage many parts of the body, such as the heart, blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys. Heart and blood vessel disease can lead to heart attacks and strokes, the leading causes of death for people with diabetes. You can do a lot to prevent or slow down diabetes problems.

This booklet is about heart and blood vessel problems caused by diabetes. You will learn the things you can do each day and during each year to stay healthy and prevent diabetes problems.

	Follow the healthy eating plan that you and your doctor or dietitian have worked out.
	Be active a total of 30 minutes most days. Ask your doctor what activities are best for you.
	Take your diabetes medicines at the same times each day.
	Check your blood glucose every day. Each time you check your blood glucose, write the number in your record book.
	Check your feet every day for cuts, blisters, sores, swelling, redness, or sore toenails.
	Brush and floss your teeth and gums every day.
	Don't smoke.

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

Your heart and blood vessels make up your circulatory (SIR-kyoo-la-TOR-ee) system. Your heart is a big muscle that pumps blood through your body. Your heart pumps blood carrying oxygen to large blood vessels, called arteries (AR-ter-eez), and small blood vessels, called capillaries (KAP-ih-lair-eez). Other blood vessels, called veins, carry blood back to the heart.

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

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

Several things, including having diabetes, can make your blood cholesterol level too high. Cholesterol is a substance that is made by the body and used for many important functions. It is also found in some food derived from animals. When cholesterol is too high, the insides of large blood vessels become narrowed, even clogged. This problem is called atherosclerosis (ATH-uh-row-skluh-RO-sis).

Narrowed and clogged blood vessels make it harder for enough blood to get to all parts of your body. This can cause problems.

Healthy Blood Vessel

Narrowed Blood Vessel

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

When arteries become narrowed and clogged, you may have heart problems:

• Chest pain, also called angina (an-JY-nuh). When you have angina, you feel pain in your chest, arms, shoulders, or back. You may feel the pain more when your heart beats faster, such as when you exercise. The pain may go away when you rest. You also may feel very weak and sweaty. If you do not get treatment, chest pain may happen more often. If diabetes has damaged the heart nerves, you may not feel the chest pain.
  
  
• Heart attack. A heart attack happens when a blood vessel in or near the heart becomes blocked. Not enough blood can get to that part of the heart muscle. That area of the heart muscle stops working, so the heart is weaker. During a heart attack, you may have chest pain along with nausea, indigestion, extreme weakness, and sweating.

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

You may have one or more of the following warning signs:

• chest pain or discomfort
• pain or discomfort in your arms, back, jaw, or neck
• indigestion or stomach pain
• shortness of breath
• sweating
• nausea or vomiting
• light-headedness

Or, you may have no warning signs at all. Or they may come and go.

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

Narrowed blood vessels leave a smaller opening for blood to flow through. It is like turning on a garden hose and holding your thumb over the opening. The smaller opening makes the water shoot out with more pressure. In the same way, narrowed blood vessels lead to high blood pressure. Other factors, such as kidney problems and being overweight, also can lead to high blood pressure.

Many people with diabetes also have high blood pressure. If you have heart, eye, or kidney problems from diabetes, high blood pressure can make them worse.

High Pressure

Low Pressure

A smaller opening makes the water pressure higher. In the same way, clogged blood vessels lead to high blood pressure.

You will see your blood pressure written with two numbers separated by a slash. For example: 120/70. Keep your first number below 130 and your second number below 80.

If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor how to lower it. Your doctor may ask you to take blood pressure medicine every day. Some types of blood pressure medicine can also help keep your kidneys healthy.

To lower your blood pressure, your doctor may also ask you to lose weight; eat more fruits and vegetables; eat less salt and high-sodium foods such as canned soups, luncheon meats, salty snack foods, and fast foods; and drink less alcohol.

To lower blood pressure, get to a healthy weight.

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

A stroke happens when part of your brain is not getting enough blood and stops working. Depending on the part of the brain that is damaged, a stroke can cause

• sudden weakness or numbness of your face, arm, or leg on one side of your body
  
  
• sudden confusion, trouble talking, or trouble understanding
  
  
• sudden dizziness, loss of balance, or trouble walking
  
  
• sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes or sudden double vision
  
  
• sudden severe headache
  

Sometimes, one or more of these warning signs may happen and then disappear. You might be having a "mini-stroke," also called a TIA (transient ischemic [TRAN-see-unt is-KEE-mik] attack). If you have any of these warning signs, tell your doctor right away.

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

Peripheral vascular (puh-RIF-uh-rul VAS-kyoo-ler) disease can happen when the openings in your blood vessels become narrow and not enough blood gets to your legs and feet. You may feel pain in your buttocks, the back of your legs, or your thighs when you stand, walk, or exercise.

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

• Don't smoke.
• Keep blood pressure under control.
• Keep blood fats close to normal.
• Exercise.

You also may need surgery to treat this problem.

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

Diabetes Teachers (nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and other health professionals)

To find a diabetes teacher near you, call the American Association of Diabetes Educators toll-free at 1–800–TEAMUP4 (1–800–832–6874), or look on the Internet at www.diabeteseducator.org and click on "Find a Diabetes Educator."

Dietitians

To find a dietitian near you, call the American Dietetic Association toll-free at 1–800–366–1655, or look on the Internet at www.eatright.org and click on "Find a Nutrition Professional."

Government

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is part of the National Institutes of Health. To learn more about heart and blood vessel problems, write or call NHLBI Information Center, P.O. Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824–0105, 301–592–8573; or see www.nhlbi.nih.gov on the Internet.

To get more information about taking care of diabetes, contact

National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
1 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892–3560
Phone: 1–800–860–8747
Fax: 703–738–4929
Email: ndic@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet: www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov

National Diabetes Education Program
1 Diabetes Way
Bethesda, MD 20892–3600
Phone: 1–800–438–5383
Fax: 703–738–4929
Internet: http://ndep.nih.gov

American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311
Phone: 1–800–342–2383
Internet: www.diabetes.org

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
120 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005–4001
Phone: 1–800–533–2873
Internet: www.jdrf.org

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