People with diabetes have an elevated risk of developing heart disease or stroke. Here's what you should know about the risks and how to prevent them.
Everybody should be concerned about their heart health. If you have diabetes, then the risks become even greater. According to the National Stroke Association, those with diabetes are four times more likely to have a stroke than those who do not have the disease. You are also more than twice as likely to have a heart attack, which is a common outcome of untreated or undiagnosed heart disease.
What Can You Do about Heart Disease and Stroke Risk?
Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to minimize those risks. According to experts, one of the best steps you can take is to adjust your diet in a way that is heart-healthy.
Kelly O'Connor, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, suggests getting control of fat intake to minimize your risks. "A diet low in saturated and trans fat is recommended," she says. "For example, a person on a 1,500 calorie a day diet should not consume more than 50 to 70 grams of fat per day. Ideally, it would be closer to 30 to 40 grams of fat per day."
O'Connor says that the types of fats consumed are also important. "Saturated fats, such as butter, cheese, whole milk, cashews, lard, cream cheese, etc. should make up only about 10 percent of the fat intake," she says. "Use of ‘healthier' fats, such as the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, is recommended. These include fish, almonds, walnuts, olive oil, olives, canola oil, sunflower oil, pumpkin and sunflower seeds."
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