Diabetes and heart disease, how they are related and what can you do about it?

Last week, we were warned in many media outlets about a significant increase in heart disease as a result of a global increase in the number of diabetes patients. As a sceptic, my first thought was, yes, that may be true, but the acute increase we are now seeing is mainly due to the mRNA injections that were administered en masse.

That said, it is undeniably true that people with diabetes are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease.
That is why it is useful to investigate this relationship further.

Shocking: 1 in 6 people with prediabetes will have a heart attack or stroke

Many Dutch people have prediabetes, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, without knowing it. New research from the Maastricht Study shows that 1 in 6 of them will have a heart attack, stroke or clogged arteries within eight years.

"Type 2 diabetes is a silent killer. The disease develops gradually, with your blood sugar levels rising unnoticed for years. Even before you possibly reach the stage of type 2 diabetes, serious health problems can already occur. This new research clearly shows that prediabetes is not harmless; you already run a greater risk of cardiovascular disease," says Martijn Brouwers, internist-endocrinologist at the Maastricht University Medical Center.

At least 1.4 million Dutch people have prediabetes. "Often without realizing it themselves, because the symptoms are vague," says the director of the Diabetes Fund. "They run a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes: 9 times more likely."

Importance of early detection

"This study emphasises the importance of early detection so that people can prevent the further development of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle improvements and guidance. In this way, we reduce the chance that prediabetes may develop into type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of serious health problems such as cardiovascular diseases".

Type 2 diabetes can affect anyone. Overweight, smoking and unhealthy eating increase the risk. As do (chronic) stress, getting older, if you have had gestational diabetes or if the disease occurs in your family. People of Surinamese-Hindustani, Turkish or Moroccan descent are also at greater risk.

"Check your risk of type 2 diabetes with the Diabetes Risk Test. Almost half a million people took the test last year: 1 in 3 turned out to have an increased risk. They were advised to go to the GP to be tested for type 2 diabetes. Half of them have done this or are planning to do so".

Diabetes and heart disease: what's the relationship?

If you have diabetes, your risk for heart disease, including having a heart attack, is higher than for someone without the condition. Therefore, having diabetes makes it even more important to monitor your heart health.

This article discusses the connection between diabetes and heart attacks and how you can manage diabetes while reducing your risk of a heart attack.

Connection between diabetes and heart attack

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how the body processes blood sugar (glucose) and causes high blood glucose levels. Over time, high blood sugar can damage your blood vessels and nerves. Untreated or uncontrolled diabetes can lead to many complications, including heart disease.

When you have diabetes, risk for heart disease or stroke is almost double that of someone without diabetes, and your risk tends to develop at a younger age.

Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death in people with diabetes. In one systematic review (summary of a broad amount of medical literature on a specific topic), cardiovascular disease was linked to about half of all deaths of people with type 2 diabetes within a 10-year period.

Risks

Factors in people with diabetes that increase the risk for heart disease and stroke include:

• having obesity
• smoking
• not getting enough physical activity
• hypertension (high blood pressure) (your heart works harder to pump blood through the body, putting extra strain on the heart and blood vessels) 
• high levels of triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood)
• high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, known as "bad" cholesterol, that can clog the arteries supplying blood and oxygen to the heart,  leading to a buildup of plaque known as coronary artery disease
• chronic kidney disease

Treatment and management of diabetes with heart disease

Managing your diabetes can help lower your risk for heart disease and heart attack.

The following are several ways to lower your risk of heart disease when you have diabetes.

Aim for healthy food choices

Heart-healthy foods can benefit your blood sugar levels and diabetes management and lower your risk for heart complications. Healthy foods to incorporate into your diet include:

• fruits and vegetables
• whole grains
• lean proteins
• fewer sugary drinks
• less processed food, such as snack chips and sweets

Regularly check hemoglobin A1C Levels

Your hemoglobin A1C number indicates your average blood sugar levels over the previous two to three months. Most people with diabetes should have their A1C checked every three to six months. Discuss any unusual numbers with your healthcare team and determine your A1C goal; for many people with diabetes, it's 7% or lower.

Know your blood pressure

High blood pressure can also raise your risk for heart disease, including a heart attack. People with diabetes should have their blood pressure checked at every healthcare checkup and monitor it at home if it's often high.

If blood pressure is persistently above 130/80 mmHg, medication is recommended to lower it. Speak to your healthcare provider about a healthy range.

Track your cholesterol

Like A1C and blood pressure, cholesterol is another number to monitor regularly. Healthier food choices and physical activity can help lower cholesterol.

Lose weight if needed

American Diabetes Association advises that weight loss of 10% or more can cut cardiovascular risks and sometimes even lead to diabetes remission.
Losing even just 5% to 7% of your body weight can make a difference in your outlook, including your blood sugar and triglyceride levels.

Get regular physical activity

Regular physical activity will lower your risk for heart disease and potentially lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, too. Current American guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate, heart-pumping exercise each week.
If you're new to exercise, start slow and work up gradually. You can also break your physical activity into smaller chunks, such as 10-minute brisk walks after each meal.

Quit smoking

Ask your healthcare provider for resources to quit smoking.

Take necessary medications

Take medications for heart disease or diabetes that your healthcare provider recommends. These medications may help lower blood sugar and reduce heart attack risk.

Get emergency care for a heart attack

When you have diabetes, nerve damage may prevent you from feeling pain caused by a heart attack. Be sure to pay attention to all of your symptoms and seek emergency care at the sign of any heart attack symptoms.

Heart attack symptoms

Call emergency number (or have someone call for you) if you have any symptoms of a heart attack, including:

• chest pain or pressure that lasts a few minutes or goes away and returns
• indigestion
• pain in your arm, jaw, or shoulders
• shortness of breath
• sweating
• unusual fatigue

Don't take statins to lower cholesterol

According to the American Heart Association, around 40 million American adults are now taking statins to manage their high cholesterol. These medications work by blocking an enzyme in the liver that’s responsible for producing cholesterol, reducing your blood cholesterol levels.

However, statins actually do more harm than good — Not only do they fail to address the root cause of heart disease, but they also expose you to various detrimental side effects.

Nearly 40 million Americans take statins daily, yet these drugs don’t fix the root cause of high cholesterol and often cause serious side effects like muscle pain and insulin resistance

Lifestyle changes like eating clean fats, exercising, and losing weight are recommended as first-line treatments before resorting to risky cholesterol-lowering medications.
Eliminating processed seed oils and consuming whole-food omega-3s from fatty fish (in optimal amounts) will help improve your lipid profile and support natural cholesterol clearance through liver and cell function.

Excess weight raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and leads to plaque buildup in arteries; reducing sugar, increasing fiber, and adding daily movement reverses this damage and promotes long-term cardiovascular health.

Statins are linked to diabetes, cataracts, muscle breakdown, and depleted CoQ10, making lifestyle changes not only safer but also more effective for lasting heart and metabolic health.

Summary

Having diabetes and sustained blood sugar levels can raise your risk for a heart attack due to associated blood vessel damage. Certain risk factors associated with diabetes, including obesity, lack of physical activity, high blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, also contribute to a higher risk of a heart attack.

Making healthy choices, such as eating more nutritiously, regular physical activity, and monitoring your health numbers (such as your hemoglobin A1C and blood pressure), can lower your chance of a heart attack when you have diabetes.