Triple threat: diabetes, heart disease, and stroke

The following Hernando Today health partner content is provided by Oak Hill Hospital, an HCA affiliate facility.

People with diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke as those who do not.

Although family history of heart disease and stroke cannot be changed, individuals have the power to control their risk for these conditions by controlling cholesterol and glucose levels, and blood pressure.

Whether you have diabetes or not, here are some tips to prevent or delay heart disease or stroke:

Eat a heart-healthy diet. This should include getting 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed; cutting down on saturated fat found in meat, butter, and shortening; aiming for less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol in your diet each day; and limiting trans fat such as that found in commercially prepared baked goods, microwave popcorn, and margarine.

Exercise regularly. Complete at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. Choose weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, or dancing, to help keep muscles toned.

Maintain a healthy body weight. Increase activity and reduce calorie intake to reach the ideal weight for your age and height. Healthy weight loss is one to two pounds per week.
Once you have reached your goal, adjust calories burned and consumed to maintain it for life.

If you smoke, quit. Smoking contributes to atherosclerosis, a buildup of fatty substances in the arteries.

Ask your physician if taking aspirin daily is right for you. Many studies have found that taking a daily low dose of aspirin can reduce the risk of heart attack and ischemic stroke.

"Heart disease and ischemic strokes are caused by narrowing of blood vessels through the deposit of fatty materials, also known as plaque, onto the arterial walls. Having high blood glucose levels increases the amount of deposits over time, putting people with diabetes more at risk. Smoking also increases plaque levels."-Michael Wahl, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon at Oak Hill Hospital, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point and Community Hospital

Keep Up the "Good" Cholesterol

The British Whitehall II study, published in the American Heart Association's journal, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, connects lower levels of "good" cholesterol-high-density lipoproteins (HDL)-to a higher risk for memory loss. The results do not conclude that low HDL is the cause of memory problems, but they do suggest that HDL levels could be biomarkers for the condition.

For more information about breaking the links between diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, call (877) 4-HCA-DOCS (1-877-442-2362) or visit www.HCAdocs.org.