February is American Heart Month, which means more and more people are raising awareness about heart problems—including the link between diabetes and heart health. Even though there are over 29 million Americans with diabetes, many people don’t realize that this condition negatively impacts cardiovascular health.
At Atlanta Medical Clinic, we help patients take care of their health through a comprehensive diabetes relief program. With our guidance and support, you’ll improve your condition, reduce the risk of heart issues and achieve a healthier, happier lifestyle.
Understanding the Connection Between Diabetes and Heart Health
Did you know that every 33 seconds, a person dies of cardiovascular disease? And, if you have diabetes, your risk immediately increases. Here are some ways in which diabetes impacts your heart health:
- Damages blood vessels: Diabetes increases your glucose levels, which damages blood vessel linings and prevents blood from flowing to the heart.
- Increases blood pressure: In addition to damaging blood vessels, diabetes can scar the kidneys and increase salt and water retention. This increases your risk of hypertension (or high blood pressure), which puts extra strain on the heart.
- Increased plaque: People with diabetes often have lower levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol and higher levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Over time, LDL cholesterol encourages plaque buildup in the arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease.
Ultimately, diabetes contributes to many of the top heart disease risk factors, which impacts your current health and puts you at risk for future issues. Fortunately, there are treatments that can help.
How Effective Diabetes Treatment Supports Overall Heart Health
Because of the potentially dangerous side effects of diabetes, it’s important to get effective treatment. Proper diabetes management supports heart health in the following ways:
- Increased blood sugar control: Diabetes treatment helps manage blood sugar levels, which reduces damage to the blood vessels and lowers the risk of heart disease.
- Weight management: Obesity makes your heart work harder to pump blood, which can weaken the muscle. Part of diabetes treatment involves maintaining healthy weight levels to ease pressure on the heart.
- Risk factor management: Comprehensive diabetes treatments address many heart disease risk factors, including high LDL cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Treatment usually involves lifestyle changes, including maintaining a balanced diet, exercising regularly and managing stress levels. These healthy habits boost blood sugar control and limit blood vessel damage, resulting in a stronger heart. That being said, lifestyle changes alone are usually not enough to treat diabetes. For the best results, they should be paired with professional treatments.
Taking Control of Your Heart Health with Atlanta Medical Clinic’s Comprehensive Diabetes Care
Do you need help managing diabetes for heart health? Whether you’re experiencing heart problems or just want to be proactive, our team is here for you. We provide a thorough diabetes relief program that combines lifestyle changes with the following non-surgical methods:
- Infusion therapy: We’re one of the only providers in the Atlanta area that offers physiologic cellular restoration, an innovative treatment that can stabilize and even reverse diabetes-related complications. It works by administering insulin as a hormone rather than as a drug. By imitating your body’s natural insulin secretion pattern, this treatment reduces insulin resistance and improves blood sugar levels.
- Advanced wound care: If you have diabetes, then you know that one of the biggest symptoms is slow healing wounds, particularly around the feet. Many patients also experience numbness, which prevents them from identifying and treating wounds. At Atlanta Medical Clinic, we use advanced grafting therapies to treat wounds and boost mobility.
- Diabetic shoe fittings: The wounds associated with diabetes can make it difficult to find shoes that fit. As part of our program, we provide custom diabetic shoe fittings designed to lower discomfort and prevent future wounds.
- Vein therapy: Many diabetes patients experience swelling in the lower extremities. To treat this, we offer minimally invasive vein treatments.
Our program comes with many benefits, including better blood sugar control, wound management and energy levels. When combined, these benefits don’t just improve diabetes symptoms; they also improve cardiovascular health by lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke and hypertension. And, as an added bonus, our treatments enhance mental wellness by giving you the valuable peace of mind that you’re doing everything possible to support your health.
Start Your Journey Toward Better Heart Health with Atlanta Medical Clinic’s Diabetes Relief Program
Take steps to protect your health this American Heart Month by joining Atlanta Medical Clinic’s diabetes relief program! From personalized lifestyle recommendations to revolutionary therapies, we go above and beyond to support your needs. Not only do we help treat diabetes, but we also lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and improve your long-term wellness. Schedule a consultation today to get started!