Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Adults with diabetes are almost twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as those without diabetes.

Here, regular exercise and healthy eating can help you a lot in the long run. Your doctor may also prescribe some medication to help lower your risk.

Treating high blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood flow inside the arteries or blood vessels. Sometimes the blood may exert too much force on the vessels. In that case, the heart will need to work harder than it should. In such a situation, it will put you at a higher risk for heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and eye problems.

Two out of three adults with diabetes have high blood pressure. High BP is also called hypertension. If you have diabetes, you need to check your blood pressure at regular intervals to ensure that it is in the right range.

If your blood pressure is measured In two numbers. 120/80 is the ideal blood pressure. The first number is known as systolic pressure and it means the pressure your blood exerts as it pushes through your blood vessels. The second number is known as diastolic pressure, which refers to the pressure between heartbeats when the vessels relax. If you have diabetes, the recommended BP range is below 130“140/80-90.

It is possible to treat hypertension effectively through lifestyle changes. If you cannot do so, your doctor may prescribe some medication. There are different BP medicines available, however, not all of them are good for people with diabetes. Some medicines raise blood glucose levels or mask some symptoms of low blood glucose or hypoglycemia. Your doctor will help you find the right medicine for treating high blood pressure if you also have diabetes.

Lowering high cholesterol

Cholesterol is one type of fat produced by the liver and it is found in your blood. There are two types of cholesterol“good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.

Low-density lipoproteins or LDL are bad cholesterol. It can build up and clog your blood vessels. The buildup of LDL is known as plaque. If your body has too much LDL, you are at a higher risk of a heart attack or stroke.

??High-density lipoproteins or HDL other good cholesterol and help you remove the LDL from your blood vessels.

If you have diabetes, you will need to make some lifestyle changes so that you can lower your cholesterol levels. Sometimes your doctor may prescribe a statin to reduce your LDL levels.

A statin is prescribed if

• You have been diagnosed with heart disease
• You are 40 years old or over

Your doctor may also prescribe an additional LDL lowering medicine. The dose of the medicine will depend on whether you have additional risk factors for different cardiovascular problems. Once you are diagnosed with high cholesterol, your doctor is going to check your levels at least once a year.

Before taking any medicine yourself, or taking over-the-counter medicines, consult your doctor because the combination of diabetes and heart disease can be deadly and you are not technically sound enough to choose the right medicine for yourself. It is better if your doctor looks at the reports you have and then decides about the medicines and the doses that you need.