Research has shown that people with Type 2 diabetes have twice the chances of getting a major heart disease or heart stroke than compared to a normal healthy person. And this makes it more important for you to pay attention to your heart health and understand how Type 2 diabetes affects your heart or you can consult cardiologist in JP Nagar.
So, here are the following ways in which Type 2 diabetes affects your heart:
- Insulin resistance in diabetic patients leads to increased production of cholesterol and triglycerides, hence leading to narrowing of blood vessels.
- Diabetes increases the risks of blood clotting hence increasing the risks of a heart attack.
- It also becomes a hindrance to the normal functioning of the heart and impairs its cell structure leading to enlarged or reduced heart pumping function that in long term might lead to heart failure.
The above mentioned pointers are the reasons it is important for you to understand the risks involving heart diseases, especially if you are a Type 2 diabetes patient.
To manage risks, lifestyle modifications also play a major role. Here’s a few lifestyle tips that can help keep your diabetes in control as well as reduce heart risks:
- Take a diet that’s good for your heart
Unhealthy food habits in the long-term can lead to heart disease. Maintaining a healthy food habit and staying away from food containing saturated fats and refined carbohydrates as they can raise blood cholesterol and sugar levels helps heart function better. Try eating more whole grains, legumes and sources that provide healthy fat such as olive oil for better heart functioning.
- Stay in shape
No matter what kind of lifestyle you live, being overweight will always increase your risk of getting heart disease as it leads to increases in both your blood sugar and cholesterol.
So, if you are someone who’s suffering from type 2 diabetes and is overweight, then make sure you exercise a minimum of 30 minutes every day and keep a check on your weight.
- Stay away from stress
Stress can be a leading factor for many conditions, especially if you are a Type 2 diabetes patient then it can be quite alarming as stress can lead to an increase in blood sugar levels. We suggest doing meditation, yoga and deep-breathing exercises to help manage stress.
- Say no to smoking
Smoking can severely increase your blood sugar levels. It can also increase your risk of getting lung cancer and heart disease as it damages the blood vessels by creating plaques and making it harder for the heart to pump blood through them.
Consult the best cardiologist in Bangalore to seek help for quitting smoking
- Drink alcohol in limit or not at all
Alcohol can lead to a sudden rise and sudden fall in blood sugar levels. Heavy drinking can cause accumulation of certain acids in the blood that can result in severe health consequences. Alcohol consumption affects fat metabolism, nerve damage and with respect to heart it may increase triglycerides levels, blood pressure levels which can directly impact the heart.
- Get enough sleep
People suffering from type 2 diabetes have sleep problems due to unstable blood sugar levels. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) during the night is caused due to fluctuating insulin levels which can lead to insomnia followed by extreme fatigue and lethargy next-day. When sugar levels are high, it may lead the kidney to function more causing you to urinate frequently, while low blood sugar levels can lead to cold sweat etc. All these factors finally result in affecting the heart functioning which may lead to heart related issues.
Ensure to have a glass of warm milk so that your insulin levels are maintained during night and you fall asleep faster. Listening to calming music can allow you to fall asleep faster.
Control your blood pressure levels, ensure to get your cholesterol and triglycerides levels checked regularly. For people with diabetes, it is best to get cardiac evaluation tests/ heart health tests done once in six months by visiting the best heart specialist in Bangalore.
We hope these tips help you manage diabetes as well as protect your heart.