The Role of Diabetes in Cardiovascular Disease

Much of the food we eat is broken down into a sugar called glucose, which is used as energy for our cells. Insulin is a substance made by the body that helps glucose get inside the cells where it is needed. If the body cannot make insulin or cannot use the insulin it makes, this is called diabetes mellitus.

Lack of insulin or the inability of the insulin to work properly means that glucose accumulates in the blood. Complex sugar-based substances build up in the walls of small blood vessels and damage them. The resulting circulatory problems can harm the heart, as well as many other parts of the body.

In addition, poorly controlled blood glucose levels accelerate the development of atherosclerosis, a condition in which fatty material collects along the walls of the arteries. This leads to even more damage to the heart and blood vessels.

Because of these occurrences, people with diabetes are at higher than average risk of heart attack, stroke, nerve damage, kidney damage and other conditions. Maintaining blood glucose levels within a normal range as much as possible can help to prevent all these complications.

You can learn more about diabetes and its link to cardiovascular disease at www.diabetes.ca.