The risk of developing heart disease is twice as high in individuals with diabetes as compared to those without diabetes. This increased risk is due to the fact that individuals with diabetes typically develop serious health issues, such as hypertension and high cholesterol, both of which increase the risk of heart disease. In fact, even pre-diabetes can lead to damage of coronary arteries. When this happens, it further increases an individual’s pre-diabetes heart disease risk:

1. Uncontrolled blood sugar
Generally speaking, diabetes is the result of too much sugar in the blood. It occurs as a result of the body’s inability to process food into glucose. When sugar levels in the blood are elevated, it means there is an increased level of glucose in the bloodstream. High levels of glucose can cause damage to the arteries and blood vessels as well as to the nerves that are responsible for controlling your blood vessels and heart. The longer an individual’s blood sugar is elevated, the more damage that can occur. This damage increases the risk of developing heart disease.

2. High cholesterol
In addition to causing high blood sugar, diabetes can also negatively impact cholesterol levels. Individuals with diabetes tend to experience a decrease in their high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol. HDL is known as good cholesterol and is responsible for the removal of other forms of cholesterol from the bloodstream. Lower levels of HDL are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Additionally, diabetes raises low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, levels. Also known as the bad cholesterol, LDL increases the risk for coronary heart disease, or CHD.

3. Triglycerides
Diabetes can also play a part in raising triglyceride levels. High triglyceride levels are an indication that the body is not effectively converting food into energy. Insulin helps to transform triglycerides into energy for the body, but high levels of triglycerides can be an indication of insulin resistance. If the body does not utilize insulin properly to convert triglycerides into energy, triglycerides will raise. The resultant high levels can then play a part in thickening in the walls of arteries as well as the hardening of arteries. In each instance, the risk of heart disease increases.

4. High blood pressure
Two thirds of individuals with diabetes also have high blood pressure. High blood pressure simply means that the heart is pumping blood through arteries that are too narrow. If arteries are narrow, it requires a stronger pump to get the blood through. Furthermore, an increase in blood pressure means the heart has to work harder to pump the blood throughout the body.

As a result, high blood pressure can damage blood vessels, strain the heart, and increase the risk of a heart attack. Additionally, research has shown a positive association between insulin resistance, which increases the risk of developing diabetes, and high blood pressure. Finally, a combined diagnosis of high blood pressure and diabetes doubles an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease.

Individuals with high blood pressure and diabetes may also suffer from diabetic cardiomyopathy, a form of diabetic heart disease. This disorder impacts the heart muscles and can result in heart failure. This type of heart failure is the result of the heart’s inability to circulate blood throughout the body, which results in fluid accumulating in the legs, known as peripheral edema and lungs, known as pulmonary edema.