Take Care of Your Heart: Manage Your Diabetes
If you have diabetes, take care of your heart. Having diabetes means you are more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke—but it doesn’t have to—if you manage your diabetes.
You can live a long and healthy life by managing your blood glucose (sugar), blood pressure, and cholesterol.
Over time, high blood glucose (sugar) levels can damage vital organs such as your kidneys and your eyes. High blood pressure is a serious disease that makes your heart work too hard. And bad cholesterol, or LDL, builds up and clogs your heart and blood vessels. Managing all three means a longer and healthier life.
Ask Your Doctor These Questions
- What are my blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol numbers?
- What should they be?
- What actions should I take to reach these goals?
Use the Diabetes Record Form to write down the answers to these questions.
Take Action Now
You can live longer for your family, improve your health, and reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke.
- Eat the right amounts of foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
- Eat foods that are prepared with less salt and fat.
- Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.
- Stay at a healthy weight—by being active and eating the right amounts of healthy foods.
- Stop smoking—seek help.
- Take medicines the way your doctor tells you.
- Ask your doctor about taking aspirin.
- Ask your family and friends to help you take care of your heart and your diabetes.
November 2002
