When you have diabetes, you're more at risk of diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels. This is called cardiovascular disease. Heart disease is a type of cardiovascular disease that specifically affects blood vessels to the heart, such as coronary artery disease. This can lead to heart attacks, angina and strokes.
Cardiovascular disease affects your circulation too. And poor circulation can make other diabetes complications worse, like problems with your eyes and feet.
That’s why it is even more important to take care of your heart when you have diabetes.
On this page:
- Why does diabetes increase your risk of heart disease?
- What are the symptoms of heart disease?
- Diabetes and heart attack
- What is the screening process for heart disease
- How can you reduce your risk of heart disease?
Why does diabetes increase your risk of heart disease or cardiovascular disease?
If you have high blood sugar levels for a long period of time, even slightly high, your blood vessels can start to get damaged. This can lead to serious heart complications.
When your blood sugar levels are high, your body can't use all of this sugar properly, so more of it sticks to your red blood cells and builds up in your blood. This build-up can cause damage and lead to a blockage of the vessels carrying blood to and from your heart. This means the heart can’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs.
Keeping as close as possible to your target HbA1c level will help protect your blood vessels and in turn your heart. Even mildly raised blood sugar levels can put you more at risk over time.
Know what your HbA1c is and how to lower it if it's too high.
If you have diabetes, you’re more at risk of having high cholesterol and high blood pressure which can also damage blood vessels.
High cholesterol
If your cholesterol is too high, then the extra fat in your blood sticks to the walls of your blood vessels.
This fatty material, called atheroma, can build up inside the arteries to your heart. This is known as atherosclerosis. Over time, your arteries may become narrow, stopping enough oxygen rich blood getting to your heart.
If some of the atheroma breaks off, it can cause a blood clot. If the clot blocks the main arteries to your heart, called the coronary arteries, it can cut off the supply of blood and oxygen to your heart, causing a heart attack.
High blood pressure
Atherosclerosis can also make the walls of your blood vessels more rigid and less elastic. This can lead to high blood pressure, also called hypertension, or make high blood pressure worse.
High blood pressure puts extra strain on your blood vessels too. That’s on top of the strain from high cholesterol and high blood sugar.
Watch our video:
How high blood sugar and high blood pressure can cause heart problems for people with diabetes.
Peripheral vascular disease
Peripheral vascular disease, also known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD), is a type of cardiovascular disease. It is usually caused by a build-up of fatty deposits in the walls of the arteries.
PAD forms in the blood vessels outside of your heart and brain, most commonly affecting blood supply to the legs. One of the main risk factors for PAD is living with diabetes.
Having PAD increases your risk of amputation. Find out more about serious foot problems and ways to prevent them.
Diabetes and heart attack
Having heart disease means you are more at risk of a heart attack and if you think you are having one call 999 straight away.
Symptoms can vary but can include:
- pain or discomfort in your chest that happens suddenly and doesn't go away
- pain that spreads to your left or right arm, or to your neck, jaw, back or stomach. For some people the pain or tightness is severe, while for others it’s uncomfortable. It may feel like heaviness, or a burning pain similar to indigestion
- feeling sick, sweaty, light-headed or short of breath.
Other less common symptoms include a sudden feeling of anxiety that can feel like a panic attack, and lots of coughing or wheezing due to a build-up of fluid in the lungs.
A heart attack can sometimes happen without any symptoms. This is called silent myocardial infarction. It is more common in older people and people with diabetes.
What are the symptoms of heart disease?
Some people may not have any symptoms, but if they do, the most common symptoms of heart disease are:
- chest pain - known as angina
- shortness of breath
- pain throughout the body
- feeling faint
- feeling sick (nausea).
What is the screening process for heart disease?
Get your HbA1c, blood pressure and blood cholesterol measured at least once a year as part of your annual diabetes review.
Make sure you get advice and support from your healthcare team to keep them within your target range.
How can you reduce your risk of heart disease?
You can help prevent damage to your blood vessels by looking after your:
- blood sugar levels
- blood pressure
- cholesterol (blood fats).
Get your HbA1c, blood pressure and blood cholesterol measured at least once a year as part of your annual diabetes review. Your healthcare team may give you medication to help manage your blood pressure or cholesterol levels. Getting support from your healthcare team to manage these three things, will help you to manage your diabetes and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Other things you can do include:
Get help to stop smoking. Smoking makes it harder for blood to flow around your body, especially to your heart. If you need help stopping, ask your healthcare team for more help or check out our information to help you quit smoking.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet to protect your heart
If you are living with obesity or overweight, get support to help you lose some weight. Even losing a small amount can make a real difference.
- Take your medication as prescribed. Some medicines help to protect your heart by reducing high blood pressure or cholesterol. You may be prescribed these medicines even if you don’t have any blood pressure or high cholesterol problems to help protect your heart or kidneys.
We've got more information about reducing your risk of a stroke too, which has similar advice as they're closely linked.
Our research and heart disease
We know people with diabetes are more at risk of developing heart problems, so we need to find ways to reduce this risk. That’s why we’re funding research to stop heart attacks and stroke.
