Getting to the heart of diabetes

DIABETES Australia wants people to understand the strong relationship between heart disease and type 2 diabetes – it’s their number-one cause of death.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports about 574,000 Australians aged 65 and over are living with mostly type 2 diabetes, which is a largely preventable condition.

Men account for about

55 per cent of these reported cases, while rates can increase with age, with the highest prevalence reported in people aged 85 and over.

It’s possible you are unaware of your risk of developing diabetes because you currently feel OK and there are no obvious warning signs of a possible chronic condition.

But if you are over 40 and overweight or have a family history of type 2 diabetes, you are at risk.

It’s easy to find out if you are at risk by using the Diabetes Australia Risk Calculator.

Maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle, losing weight, modifying your diet and taking oral glucose-lowering medication can all help to reduce its impact.

“People with type 2 diabetes can reduce their risk of heart disease by losing some weight, being physically active, quitting smoking, managing high blood pressure and taking medication as prescribed,” Diabetes Australia chief executive Professor Greg Johnson said.

“We are asking people to ‘Take Diabetes 2 Heart’ and have a serious conversation with their GP about what they can do to reduce their risk.”

For more information, talk to your GP and download the Take Care of Your Heart fact sheet at www.takediabetes2heart.com.au.