If you live with type 2 diabetes, you may know it can affect more than your blood sugar. Diabetes is also linked to heart health, and factors like obesity can play a role. Understanding these connections can help you recognize other health risks and have more informed conversations with your healthcare professional.
How Are Diabetes and Heart Disease Connected?
Over time, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and the nerves that help control your heart. This can contribute to heart and blood vessel disease, including heart attack and stroke.
Diabetes is one part of your cardiovascular health. Blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, kidney health, and other factors also matter. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases explains how these factors can interact and why managing them together is important.
How Does Obesity Relate to Diabetes and Heart Health?
Obesity can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. One connection is insulin resistance: your body's cells have more difficulty responding to insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar.
Excess weight, particularly around the abdomen, can also be associated with high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels. The NIDDK's guide to weight-related health risks explains these relationships in more detail.
These connections do not tell the whole story about any one person. Not everyone with obesity develops diabetes, and not everyone with diabetes has obesity. Your healthcare professional can help you understand your individual risk without reducing your health to a number on a scale.
What Else Can Affect Your Heart Health?
Several factors can influence your heart health alongside diabetes and weight. Discussing them together can help you and your healthcare team decide where to focus.
- Blood pressure: High blood pressure puts added strain on your heart and blood vessels.
- Cholesterol: Unhealthy cholesterol levels can contribute to the buildup of fatty deposits in arteries.
- Smoking: Smoking damages blood vessels and adds to cardiovascular risk.
- Kidney health: Diabetes can affect the kidneys, and kidney disease is linked with a higher risk of heart disease.
The CDC's diabetes and heart health guide offers more information about these risks and ways to address them.
What Can You Do to Support Your Heart Health?
Supporting your heart health starts with a plan suited to your needs. Your healthcare professional can help you set personal goals for blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol and discuss whether medication changes are appropriate.
Regular movement, a balanced eating pattern, and stopping smoking if you smoke can also support heart health. A registered dietitian or another member of your care team can help you find an approach that fits your preferences, abilities, and medical needs.
At your next appointment, consider asking:
- What are my individual blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol goals?
- How often should my kidney function be checked?
- Would changes to my care plan help address my heart risk?
- Would a referral to a dietitian or another specialist be helpful?
You can also explore our article on type 2 diabetes and obesity for more on healthy habits and research.
How Can Clinical Research Contribute?
Clinical research helps investigators learn more about potential approaches to health conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk. Studies can evaluate investigational treatments, but their outcomes are not guaranteed.
Before deciding about a study, you can ask about its purpose, possible risks, visit schedule, and alternatives. Our guide to informed consent explains the process of learning about a study and deciding whether it is right for you. Studies are reviewed by an institutional review board, an independent group that reviews research to help protect participants.
Participation is voluntary. You can decline to take part or leave a study at any time. You can also read about medical monitoring during clinical trials and discuss any questions with the study team.
Explore the Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Risk Study in Gurnee
Elevate Clinical Research's Gurnee location lists a study for people with type 2 diabetes and increased cardiovascular risk. The study compares an investigational medication with insulin glargine to learn about their effects on blood sugar and body weight.
If you would like to learn more, visit the Gurnee study page and ask the research team about current availability, eligibility, study procedures, and potential risks. The team can help you decide whether taking part is right for you.