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Are cardiovascular disease and heart disease the same thing? In short, no - cardiovascular disease is the general term for conditions affecting the heart (cardio) or blood vessels (vascular) and covers all heart and circulatory diseases, including: 2
Heart disease is another broad term used to describe a range of disorders affecting your heart, and these include: 2
There’s a strong correlation between both cardiovascular disease and diabetes and heart disease and diabetes. In both, blood vessels narrow and the amount of oxygen-rich blood reaching the body’s vital organs is severely reduced. 3
The blood pressure rises, and your heart must work harder to move blood around the body. Over time, this can cause lasting damage to the heart, resulting in cardiovascular disease. 3
You may not be aware that if you have type 2 diabetes, you are at a higher risk of developing heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, than people without diabetes. Due to this increased risk, people with diabetes are 2–6 times more likely to die from heart disease compared to people without type 2 diabetes.
It is important to take care of your heart health and type 2 diabetes together.
Heart disease is a group of diseases which can arise when blood vessels become so narrow that the amount of oxygen-rich blood reaching the body’s organs is reduced. Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease because high blood glucose levels can damage the walls of blood vessels. This damage can increase the likelihood of fatty material (such as fat and cholesterol) in the blood vessels and eventually, the build-up of fatty material can cause the vessels to become narrow. This, in turn, can lead to reduced blood flow.
When this happens, there can be a lot of force pushing the blood against the walls of the blood vessels, which is also known as high blood pressure. When your blood pressure is high, your heart and the blood vessels have to work a lot harder to move blood around the body. Over time, this causes damage to the heart and can lead to events like irregular heartbeat, heart attack or stroke.
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have established risk factors for cardiovascular disease. 4
You’ll likely already be familiar with the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, and this knowledge will come in handy when exploring the correlation between type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
As a quick refresher, note that type 2 diabetes causes high glucose levels in the bloodstream. This can quickly lead to the damaging of blood vessel walls, an increase in fatty materials and the reduction of blood flow. This kind of build-up can starve the heart of oxygen and nutrition, potentially resulting in severe heart conditions, strokes, and high blood pressure.
The most common symptoms of cardiovascular diseases and something you should look out for as a patient with type 2 diabetes, include: 6
If your type 2 diabetes is well controlled, then your risk for developing heart disease is reduced. Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong disease. Taking care of both your diabetes and heart health in the long-term involves eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and monitoring your blood glucose levels.
You can read more about how you can prevent damage to your blood vessels and lower your heart disease risk here.
Can a stroke cause diabetes? While some people are only diagnosed with diabetes after they’ve had a stroke, it’s more common for diabetes to cause a stroke (or a diabetes mini stroke) as high blood pressure levels continue to damage blood vessel walls. 8 Diabetes stroke symptoms include:
Although post-stroke patients with diabetes are predisposed to a slower recovery of function, diabetes stroke recovery is possible. A successful recovery requires the brain to remap sensorimotor functions within the brain network. 9
When it comes to managing cardiovascular disease, preventative efforts are key. Patients with type 2 diabetes should turn to medication, lifestyle changes and risk factor interventions to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease. Note, every condition is different and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease will require a different approach from person to person.
If you have any type of diabetes (type 1, type 2, gestational, adolescent) you should pay close attention to your lifestyle habits. Lifestyle factors that alleviate narrow or clogged blood vessels, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, include:
Clinical evidence shows that a cholesterol level reduction may lower the mortality rate from cardiovascular disease.
A nutritionally limited or poor diet can lead to high blood pressure. Try to reduce your daily sodium intake.
Smoking is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Tobacco is known to damage and narrow blood vessels.
Studies have indicated a positive correlation between cardiovascular disease and alcohol consumption above recommended limits.
There is also a positive correlation between the reduction of body fat and insulin sensitivity. Addressing weight loss (physical activity is one of many options) is key to achieving steady blood sugar levels.
Exercising more, eating a balanced diet to lose weight, and cutting out bad habits like excessive drinking and smoking are all great ways to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
While lifestyle changes are important for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, it’s also imperative that you continue to monitor blood glucose level carefully and manage your medication.
February 2024, IE23DI00267
