Women with diabetes have a higher chance of having heart disease and a stroke. About 9 million women in the U.S. have diabetes. About 3 million do not even know they have the disease. The chance of having heart disease increases when diabetes is not noticed or treated. Women with diabetes have a greater risk of death related to heart disease and stroke than men.

• What Is diabetes?
• Are you at risk?
• What you can do to decrease your risk of diabetes
• If you have diabetes

What Is diabetes?

Certain foods you eat change into sugar in order to give the body fuel and energy. Insulin, which is made by the body, is needed to get the sugar to work. In diabetes the body doesn't make insulin (type 1) or doesn’t use insulin the way it should (insulin resistance / type 2). Without insulin, your body cannot use the food you eat and your body will not work well. The blood sugar will rise. High blood sugar can cause kidney problems, blindness, infections, and nerve problems. Diabetes can also increase bad cholesterol levels. Many people with diabetes also have high blood pressure. Heart attacks are more common and more serious in people with diabetes.

Symptoms
In type 1 diabetes you may notice you are thirsty, hungry, tired, urinating more than normal, losing weight, not seeing as well and getting sick. With type 2 diabetes these symptoms develop more slowly and may be harder to notice. That is why it is often undetected and untreated.
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Are you at risk?

In order to take care of yourself, it is important to know if you could develop diabetes. You should get tested if you answer yes to one of these:

• Are over 45 years old
• Are Hispanic or African American, American Indian, Asian American or Pacific Islander
• Are overweight or obese (especially if you have extra weight around your middle)
• Do not exercise (or are not physically active)
• Are a woman who had diabetes during pregnancy
• Are a woman who had a baby weighing more than 9 lbs at birth.
• Have a family history of diabetes

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What you can do to decrease your risk of diabetes

If you think you could have diabetes you should have a blood sugar test (glucose test done in a laboratory). Diabetes is defined as a blood sugar of 126 mg/dL or more You may prevent diabetes and heart disease if you:

• Lose weight. Too much fat makes your body work hard making insulin. The heart has to work too hard also! Follow a low fat, low calorie, less sugar, low carbohydrate diet. People who lost about 10 to15 pounds decreased their chance of getting diabetes by 58%. Staying at a healthy weight decreases the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
• Be active. (30 minutes most days a week) Regular physical exercise helps lower insulin resistance allowing your body to use its own insulin better. Physical exercise also decreases blood pressure and decreases heart attack and stroke.
• Stop smoking. Tobacco increases the chance of heart disease and stroke by increasing heart rate, narrowing blood vessels and increasing blood pressure. When you smoke, the amount of oxygen to the heart is decreased.
• Other ways to lower risk include: keeping your blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure within normal limits.

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If you have diabetes

If you have diabetes, making a few changes can help you to live a healthy normal life.

Three key steps, known as the ABC's of diabetes, can help you lower your chance of having diabetes related problems including heart attack and stroke.

• A is for A1c test, known as hemoglobin A1c, which should be done twice a year. It measures the average blood glucose over the last 3 months. Goal is below 7%.
• B is for blood pressure. Keeping your blood pressure below 130/80 decreases the amount of work on the heart and also reduces kidney problems.
• C is for cholesterol. Bad cholesterol, or LDL, clogs your blood vessels and increases your risk of heart disease. LDL goal is less than 100 mg/dl.

The following are ways to get the ABC's of diabetes in control.

• Lose weight and stay at a healthy weight by eating a diet low in fat, sugar, calories, carbohydrates, and high in fiber diet. See a dietitian for weight loss and tips for healthy diet.
• Exercise for 30 minutes most days a week to decrease insulin needs and to lower blood levels.
• Take your medicine as ordered and test your blood sugar levels.
• Stop smoking to help improve your blood vessels and heart.

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