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Diabetes & Heart

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What are diabetes problems?

Image showing outline of blood vessels and heart.
High blood glucose can cause heart and blood vessel problems.


This booklet is about heart and blood vessel problems caused by diabetes. You will learn the things you can do each day and during each year to stay healthy and prevent diabetes problems.


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What should I do each day to stay healthy with diabetes?

Take your diabetes medicines at the same times each day.
Brush and floss your teeth and gums every day.
Don't smoke.

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Image of human body showing network of blood vessels

What do my heart and blood vessels do?

Your heart and blood vessels make up your circulatory (SIR-kyoo-la-TOR-ee) system. Your heart is a big muscle that pumps blood through your body. Your heart pumps blood carrying oxygen to large blood vessels, called arteries (AR-ter-eez), and small blood vessels, called capillaries (KAP-ih-lair-eez). Other blood vessels, called veins, carry blood back to the heart.


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What can I do to prevent heart disease and stroke?

You can do a lot to prevent heart disease and stroke
  • Keep your blood glucose under control. You can see if it is under control by having an A1C test at least twice a year. The A1C test tells you your average blood glucose for the past 2 to 3 months. The target for most people is below 7.



    • LDL (bad) cholesterol: below 100

    • HDL (good) cholesterol: above 40 in men and above 50 in women

    • Triglycerides (another type of fat in the blood): below 150


  • Make sure that the foods you eat are "heart-healthy." Include foods high in fiber, such as oat bran, oatmeal, whole-grain breads and cereals, fruits, and vegetables. Cut back on foods high in saturated fat or cholesterol, such as meats, butter, dairy products with fat, eggs, shortening, lard, and foods with palm oil or coconut oil.




  • Take your medicines as directed.

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How do my blood vessels get clogged?

Several things, including having diabetes, can make your blood cholesterol level too high. Cholesterol is a substance that is made by the body and used for many important functions. It is also found in some food derived from animals. When cholesterol is too high, the insides of large blood vessels become narrowed, even clogged. This problem is called atherosclerosis (ATH-uh-row-skluh-RO-sis).

Narrowed and clogged blood vessels make it harder for enough blood to get to all parts of your body. This can cause problems.

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What can happen when blood vessels are clogged?

When arteries become narrowed and clogged, you may have heart problems:


  • Heart attack. A heart attack happens when a blood vessel in or near the heart becomes blocked. Not enough blood can get to that part of the heart muscle. That area of the heart muscle stops working, so the heart is weaker. During a heart attack, you may have chest pain along with nausea, indigestion, extreme weakness, and sweating.

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What are the warning signs of a heart attack?

You may have one or more of the following warning signs:

  • chest pain or discomfort
  • pain or discomfort in your arms, back, jaw, or neck
  • indigestion or stomach pain
  • shortness of breath
  • sweating
  • nausea or vomiting
  • light-headedness

Or, you may have no warning signs at all. Or they may come and go.

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How does heart disease cause high blood pressure?

Narrowed blood vessels leave a smaller opening for blood to flow through. It is like turning on a garden hose and holding your thumb over the opening. The smaller opening makes the water shoot out with more pressure. In the same way, narrowed blood vessels lead to high blood pressure. Other factors, such as kidney problems and being overweight, also can lead to high blood pressure.


You will see your blood pressure written with two numbers separated by a slash. For example: 120/70. Keep your first number below 130 and your second number below 80.


To lower your blood pressure, your doctor may also ask you to lose weight; eat more fruits and vegetables; eat less salt and high-sodium foods such as canned soups, luncheon meats, salty snack foods, and fast foods; and drink less alcohol.

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What are the warning signs of a stroke?

A stroke happens when part of your brain is not getting enough blood and stops working. Depending on the part of the brain that is damaged, a stroke can cause

  • sudden weakness or numbness of your face, arm, or leg on one side of your body

  • sudden confusion, trouble talking, or trouble understanding

  • sudden dizziness, loss of balance, or trouble walking

  • sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes or sudden double vision

  • sudden severe headache

Sometimes, one or more of these warning signs may happen and then disappear. You might be having a "mini-stroke," also called a TIA (transient ischemic [TRAN-see-unt is-KEE-mik] attack). If you have any of these warning signs, tell your doctor right away.

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How can clogged blood vessels hurt my legs and feet?

Peripheral vascular (puh-RIF-uh-rul VAS-kyoo-ler) disease can happen when the openings in your blood vessels become narrow and not enough blood gets to your legs and feet. You may feel pain in your buttocks, the back of your legs, or your thighs when you stand, walk, or exercise.

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What can I do to prevent or control peripheral vascular disease?

  • Don't smoke.
  • Keep blood pressure under control.
  • Keep blood fats close to normal.
  • Exercise.

You also may need surgery to treat this problem.

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For More Information

National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse

National Diabetes Education Program

American Diabetes Association

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International

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Diabetes & Heart