If you’re aware of your heart health, you’ve probably read and heard a lot about risks for people who have diabetes. That’s because there’s a major connection between the two types of disease.
In fact, people who are diabetic are twice as likely to have heart disease than those who aren’t diabetic. It’s also true that someone who is diabetic who has a heart attack is also more likely to die from that heart attack.
Some of the reason for this may be the common characteristics of people who are diabetic and those who are at risk for heart disease. For example, many people who are diabetic are overweight, which is also a risk factor for heart disease. 
Diabetics are also more likely to be sedentary and to have high blood pressure. This combination of risk factors would make anyone at risk for heart disease. What may make diabetes a more special case for cardiac risk is the insulin-resistance that’s characteristic of it.
Insulin resistance is known to increase LDL and triglyceride levels (the bad cholesterol) and also cause HDL (good cholesterol) to be lower. This causes the advancement of hardening of the arteries. Continue reading “The Relationship Between Diabetes and Heart Disease” »