Diabetes Management: Diabetics, Make These Changes To Reduce Your Risk Of Heart Disease

Diabetes Diet: Simple diet modifications can help you manage diabetes

Diabetes can result in some severe complications including increased risk of heart diseases. If you are a diabetic you need to manage your blood sugar levels to control diabetes as well as to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. People with type-2 diabetes are significantly at a higher risk that other diabetic patients. Factors other than diabetes like high blood pressure, poor cholesterol levels, smoking and family history can make the situation worse. Some minor changes can help diabetics reduce the risk of heart diseases. These day-to-day changes will significantly reduce the risk and result in better management of diabetes.

Healthy Diabetes Tips to Prevent Heart Diseases

1. Exercise regularly

The health benefits of regular exercise are enough to motivate you to get moving. If you are a diabetic, exercise should be an essential part of your daily routine. Exercise will improve your heart health and also help you manage your blood sugar levels. Regular exercise will offer you other benefits like better weight management, better cholesterol levels and many more. If you are overweight you need to lose weight.

Also read: Best Exercises For Diabetics To Maintain Weight And Blood Sugar Levels

2. Follow a suitable diabetic diet

Dietary changes are very essential for a diabetes patient. Diabetic diet consists of such foods which can lower the blood sugar levels naturally. A healthy and balanced diet can result in better blood sugar levels. You should add more foods loaded with fibre to your diet. It will also prevent heart diseases. You should avoid processed foods and fatty foods. Add more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and protein to your diet.

Diabetes Diet: A healthy and balanced diet can reduce the risk of diabetes complications
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3. Quit smoking

Smoking is harmful to your health in various ways. It is worse for diabetics as it can put you at a higher risk of heart diseases. You need to quit smoking immediately to reduce your risk. If you face any difficulty, consult a doctor. As smoking can damage the blood vessels and cause damage to the heart you should immediately practice methods to quit smoking.

4. Keep a track of your condition

You should not ignore your condition if you are a diabetic. Keep a track of your blood sugar numbers. You must pay regular visits to your doctor to avoid the development of heart diseases. You doctor will also guide you regularly to manage diabetes effectively and preserve your heart health.

Also read:Diabetes: These Leaves Can Lower Your Blood Sugar Levels Effectively; Learn How To Use Them

5. Check your cholesterol levels

High amount of bad cholesterol levels also affect the heart health. It can lead to cardiovascular diseases. Being a diabetic is itself an alarming sign but poor cholesterol levels can make trigger the condition. Eat healthy to reduce your cholesterol levels. You should also check your cholesterol on a regular basis.

Dr. Pradeep Kumar, Senior Consultant - Interventional Cardiology, Aster CMI Hospital suggests ''Daily exercise and a diet low in fat and refined food is good for diabetics. Strict control of blood sugars, cholesterol and blood pressure is necessary. Patients should also try attain ideal body weight. The risk of heart disease is five to six times more in diabetics who smoke, it is extremely important for diabetics to quit smoking,''

"Pick up healthy habits like diet and exercise, drop unhealthy habits like smoking and consumption of alcohol. These are general guidelines but they are twice as beneficial for a person with diabetes. Diet and exercise will not only help patients reduce their cardiovascular disease but also help them have better control over their blood glucose levels. To put it simply, achieve better glycemic control and you automatically reduce the risk of diabetes complications," Dr. Sid Kolwankar, AVP Clinical at Wellthy Therapeutics also added.

Managing your blood pressure levels is the best way to control diabetes and its complications. Follow all the precautions suggested by your doctor and monitor your diet carefully.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.