The close connection between diabetes and heart health is often overlooked, yet it has a big impact on one’s overall well-being. When blood sugar levels rise, the impact isn’t limited to glucose—it’s a ripple effect that can influence heart function and overall cardiovascular risk. According to research, individuals with diabetes have a doubled risk of
developing heart disease at some point in their lives. 1 Elevated blood sugar levels can harm blood vessels and the nerves that control heart function. The good news is that the steps you take to manage your diabetes can also help lower your cardiovascular disease risk.
Dr. Deepak Chand Gupta, Senior Consultant, Endocrinology, Eternal Hospital,
Jaipur, said, “In India, many people living with diabetes are reporting heart-related
complications. It is also extremely concerning that the rise of these complications is being
observed across younger demographics. If diabetes is not managed properly it can lead to rise in cardiovascular disease risk factors like high blood pressure, bad cholesterol, and high triglycerides. It is important for people to take extra care and follow preventative steps to avoid glucose fluctuations. Following a heart healthy diet, regular exercise, and glucose monitoring with devices like CGM, are some measures one can adopt.”
Dr. Kenneth Lee, Director, Medical Affairs, Diabetes Division, Abbott said, “For effective diabetes management, regular monitoring of glucose levels is essential. This can be done using tools like continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, which doesn’t involve finger pricks to give you glucose level insights. Such devices have useful metrics like Time in Range (TIR), which indicates the amount of time in a day that one’s glucose levels stay within a specified range. When a person spends more time in range, their risk of developing cardiovascular disease markers is reduced. In fact, a 10% increase in TIR can reduce the risk of abnormal thickness of one’s carotid arteries by 6.4%. Therefore, achieving a greater TIR is important to keep cardiovascular disease at bay.”