Type 2 Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions
Health-care professionals are raising awareness about the importance of heart health for people living with the disease
Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada, behind cancer. For people diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), that risk increases. The good news is that a combination of medications and lifestyle changes can reduce the risk for cardiovascular complications for people living with diabetes.
Natalie Washington of Stellarton, Nova Scotia, was diagnosed with T2D in 2015. Since then, she has been working with her doctor and having regular virtual appointments with a dietician in Ontario to better manage her health. With a history of heart disease in her family, it’s more important than ever.
“I think I went 20-plus years without a diagnosis,” says Washington, who was diagnosed with T2D at the age of 36.
“I guess I wasn’t really surprised in a sense, but in another sense, it was like, ‘Oh my goodness, now everything has to change overnight!’”
Despite difficulties in the beginning, Washington has made the lifestyle changes recommended to manage her T2D and heart health during the past nine years, thanks to a combination of healthier eating, regular exercise, and proper medications.
“My sugars were all out of whack and with the extra weight – everything is connected,” she says. “By working with my healthcare team, my weight and my A1C (blood sugar levels) are under control and I feel much better.”
Dr. Paul Macdonald is the Chief of Cardiology at Cape Breton Regional Hospital (CBRH). Along with his duties at CBRH, he has also taken an active role in research and education through his work as an associate professor at Dalhousie Medical School, helping raise awareness around cardiovascular diseases related to T2D.
“The most common thing we encounter with diabetes is people who have heart attacks,” says Macdonald.
Being diagnosed with T2D and managing the condition is not easy, but you can work with your doctor and your diabetes care team to help find solutions that work for you.
Macdonald advises that regular physical activity, along with eating healthy and controlling your weight, can reduce your risk of developing T2D complications such as heart attack and stroke.
He warns that people with T2D that heart attacks in real life don’t resemble what he refers to as ‘TV heart attacks’.
“They may have lightheadedness, sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, but not chest pain, and can often misattribute these symptoms to other things and go untreated for their heart disease.”
The colder months are all about gathering around comfort food and staying warm inside, so it’s completely normal to gain some weight during this time. Macdonald says, it’s important to stay active.
“My dad always said it’s not what you eat between Christmas and New Year’s, it’s what you eat between New Year’s and Christmas that counts,” he says, and reiterates how exercise can help.
“It’s a great practice to increase our physical activity, if we’re going to be increasing our food intake.”
Washington tries to stay active, even in the colder months.
“What works for me is staying on a schedule or routine. For example, my mom and I plan to swim at least three times a week. It’s nice to have someone else to keep you accountable as well such as a family member or friend. I also like to remind myself that being active is part of my own self-care and overall health. It is not a punishment, it’s about your wellbeing and longevity.”
If Washington has one key piece of advice for those living with T2D, it’s to not be afraid to be your own advocate with your doctor.
“Nobody else is going to do it for you,” she says. “If you have T2D or you’re borderline, it’s super important. I don’t know what type of internal damage I’ve had over those 20-plus years being undiagnosed.”