Diabetes or pre-diabetes increases the risk for heart diseases and stroke. In pre-diabetes one have slightly increased blood sugar levels. Normally people who have pre-diabetes can develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. Moreover, both with diabetes or pre-diabetes are at risk for cardiovascular diseases and stroke. With right food, weight loss and physical activity it is possible to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes and thus lower the risk of heart diseases and stroke. If necessary, the medications must also be taken.

What are the ways to minimize this risk for heart diseases and stroke? The best way is reduce the risks. The risk factors for heart diseases and stroke in people with diabetes include:

• Overweight or obesity
• Increased LDL-cholesterol
• Increased Homocysteine
• Increased Triglycerides
• High blood pressure
• Excess alcohol
• Smoking
• Family history of heart disease or stroke

We cannot change the hereditary risk. The other risks can be reduced without any problem.

The diabetes treatment is very important. It can be easily controlled with the following blood parameters. They include:

• Fasting blood sugar – less than 120 mg/dl
• Two hours after a meal – below 170 mg/dl
• HbA1c – must be below 7%
• The bad LDL-cholesterol – below 100 mg/dl
• The good HDL-cholesterol; men – above 40 mg/dl; women – above 50 mg/dl
• Triglycerides – below 150 mg/dl
• Blood pressure – below 130/80 mm Hg

This can be achieved with the right food and enough physical activities. If not, your doctor must give you medications. If the above parameters are kept in this levels people with diabetes can reduce the risk for heart diseases and stroke.