Diabetes and your heart. You know about the connection – now it’s time to do something about it. Learn what you can do to help your sweetheart keep diabetes under control.
Heart-to-heart with your loved one
Talk to your loved one about their increased risk for heart disease.
Be open and direct
It is not an easy conversation to have but understanding the risks of diabetes is a discussion that must take place. It is important for your loved one to understand that having diabetes puts them at four times the risk of developing heart disease. Follow this link to understand the connection between diabetes and heart disease.
Encourage a doctor’s visit
The sooner they understand the risk, the sooner they can talk to their healthcare provider to learn more about the link between diabetes and heart disease. Their doctor is also the best resource to talk to about managing their risks.
Arm them with information
Help them ask the right questions when visiting their doctor. Scroll down for a list of questions they can ask their doctor.
Heart-to-heart with your doctor
Scheduling an appointment with your doctor is an important first step in addressing the link between Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Questions you can ask your doctor:
- Do you think I am at risk for heart disease?
- What else contributes to my risk?
- Is there something I can do to lower my risk for heart disease?
- I already take medication for my heart, am I still at risk?
- What resources can I refer to for more information on this?
- How will I know if my efforts to lower my risk are making a difference?