Diabetic Heart Disease

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

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Summary

If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes you have an increased risk for heart disease. Diabetic heart disease can be coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure, and diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Diabetes by itself puts you at risk for heart disease. Other risk factors include

• Family history of heart disease
• Carrying extra weight around the waist
• Abnormal cholesterol levels
• High blood pressure
• Smoking

Some people who have diabetic heart disease have no signs or symptoms of heart disease. Others have some or all of the symptoms of heart disease.

Treatments include medications to treat heart damage or to lower your blood glucose (blood sugar), blood pressure, and cholesterol. If you are not already taking a low dose of aspirin every day, your doctor may suggest it. You also may need surgery or some other medical procedure. Lifestyle changes also help. These include a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active, and quitting smoking.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

• Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes (American Heart Association)
• Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Symptoms

• Know the Warning Signs of a Heart Attack (American Diabetes Association) - PDF Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Heart Health Tests for Diabetes Patients (American Heart Association)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Taking Aspirin to Protect Your Heart (American Diabetes Association) - PDF
• Taking Care of Your Diabetes Means Taking Care of Your Heart (Tip Sheet) (National Diabetes Education Program) - PDF

Treatments and Therapies

• Medical Tests and Procedures for Finding and Treating Heart and Blood Vessel Disease (American Diabetes Association) - PDF

Living With

• Cook with Heart-Healthy Foods (American Diabetes Association) Also in Spanish
• Diabetes-Friendly Recipes (American Heart Association)
• Protect Your Heart: Check Food Labels to Make Heart-Healthy Choices (American Diabetes Association) - PDF
• Protect Your Heart: Choose Healthy Fats (American Diabetes Association) - PDF
• Protect Your Heart: Make Smart Food Choices (American Diabetes Association) - PDF

Related Issues

• All about Cholesterol (American Diabetes Association) - PDF
• All about Insulin Resistance (American Diabetes Association) - PDF
• Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, and Heart Protection (Hormone Health Network) - PDF Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• Link between Hypoglycemia and Cardiac Arrhythmias: An Answer to Why Tight Glycemic Control May Increase Mortality in People with Diabetes (American Diabetes Association)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Diabetic Cardiomyopathies (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Diabetic Heart Disease (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Diabetic cardiomyopathy: factual or factoid?
• Article: Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy in type 2 diabetic patients.
• Article: Cardiovascular Biomarkers in Association with Dietary Intake in a Longitudinal...
• Diabetic Heart Disease -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Diabetes Association
• American Heart Association
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• NIDDK Information Clearinghouses (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)