Looking after your cardiovascular health is
important for everyone, but if you are living with type 2 diabetes,
it’s even more essential to reduce your cardiovascular risk. Living
with type 2 diabetes means you are more prone to a build-up of fatty
deposits inside your arteries (a condition known as atherosclerotic
cardiovascular disease, or ASCVD for short) and because of this,
you’re more likely to have serious health problems, such as a heart
attack or stroke, than someone who doesn’t have
diabetes.1,2 The good news is that there are lot of things
that you can do to help prevent ASCVD and reduce your risk of
developing diabetes complications.
Through learning and understanding how diabetes can affect your
cardiovascular system and the causes of cardiovascular disease, you
can make good lifestyle choices that may lower your risk of unexpected
complications that can occur in the future. Whether it’s you or a
loved one living
with type 2 diabetes, it’s important that you learn the signs of
a heart attack and stroke.
ASCVD is a term that refers to a build-up of fatty deposits
(known as plaque) inside your arteries. Plaque can build up and can
clog the arteries, it could cause a blood clot. Because of this, the
blood cannot flow through normally, and organs such as the heart and
brain, as well as lower limbs and potentially all arteries, cannot get
the oxygen they need to function properly. This can have very severe
consequences, such as a heart attack or stroke.3,4
An important thing to know about ASCVD is that it develops
gradually. Most people don’t know they have it until it is already at
a more advanced stage, and this may lead to them having a heart
attack, stroke, or lower limb ischaemia.5 But there are
things that you can watch out for, some of which may be early signs of
cardiovascular disease. If you recognise any of these signs, you
could consider making some lifestyle changes and be evaluated by your
healthcare provider.
