How is diabetes a risk factor for heart disease? What can diabetes patients do to lessen their risk for heart disease?

The risk is so substantial that someone who is diabetic falls under the same guidelines as heart disease patients. Diabetic patients are more likely to have other risk factors contributing to heart disease including obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Diabetic patients can reduce their risk for heart disease by controlling blood sugars and with lifestyle changes including reducing body weight to ideal or less and not smoking. Patients can keep diabetes under control with weight loss, exercise and good diet.