You’ve probably heard of doctors telling people to take an aspirin a day to help prevent heart attacks. However, a new study shows that when women take low-dose aspirin, it doesn’t prevent a first heart attack.

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People with diabetes run a two to four fold risk of heart disease compared to the general population. Many large studies have shown the benefits of aspirin therapy after a heart attack.

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Patients with diabetes often have high blood pressure, commonly known as hypertension. High blood pressure further raises the risk of heart disease, which is already high in patients with diabetes.


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Cardiovascular disease is a major complication of diabetes and the leading cause of premature death in people with diabetes. An adult with diabetes is two to four times more likely to develop heart disease or suffer a stroke than someone who does not have diabetes.

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Monitoring blood glucose. Reading food labels. Counting carbs. Isn’t this enough? Why would a person with type 1 diabetes and no symptoms also have to worry about celiac disease? Actually, type 1 diabetes and celiac disease have a lot in common.

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A heart attack is a frightening event, and you probably don’t want to think about it. But if you learn the signs of a heart attack and what steps to take, you can save a life—maybe your own.

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You probably know that smoking isn’t good for you. You also probably make an effort not to drink caffeine. If you smoke, that’s a good thing because, while coffee and smoking usually go together, caffeine, along with smoke, can do some serious damage to your arteries.

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Some people mistakenly think leg pain is a natural part of getting older. But you might be surprised to learn leg pain which develops during exercise and goes away only with rest can be caused by intermittent claudication (IC).

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Diabetes affects many body organs, including the largest of the body, the skin. Some skin conditions are specific to diabetes, but most of them also occur in the general population. In addition, the clinical symptoms and complications of skin disease are frequently more severe in the context of diabetes.

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Diabetes is linked to the development of a number of serious complications. The risk of developing complications exists whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

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Diabetic neuropathy is a complication of diabetes that leads to sensations of pain and/or numbness, tingling or “pins and needles” in the feet and hands. And, according to study findings, a staggering 56 percent of people with diabetes have never even heard of the condition.

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Many women find that they have more vaginal infections (also called vaginitis) once they get diabetes. Yeast and the other bacteria that cause these infections thrive in sweet, moist, and warm places. High blood glucose provide a friendly place for bacteria to grow.

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Heart disease is a growing concern in the United States—especially among people with or at risk for diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease than the general public.

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Research has led to the belief that people with diabetes who have been treated for colon cancer are more likely to have their cancer return and to die from their cancer than are those without diabetes.

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When you hear about how diabetes affects a person’s sexual health, you most often hear about how diabetes affects men. What you don’t often hear about is how diabetes can affect a woman’s sexual health. 

If you have diabetes and arthritis, you may have wondered if they are related. Whether diabetes and arthritis are related depends on your age, the type of diabetes you have, the kind of arthritis you have, your lifestyle and the medications or supplements you take.

Article originally appeared in 2003. Diabetes, if not controlled properly, is a major cause of sexual difficulties for both men and women. However, like so many of the complications related to diabetes, these difficulties can be preventable through proper management of the disease.

Most of us take our skin for granted. This remarkable organ is responsible for many important functions, such as being our first line of defense against harmful bacteria and fungi.

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Diabetic gastroparesis is a type of nerve damage. Years of high blood glucose levels can be the cause of the nerve damage in diabetic gastroparesis. In this condition, those high blood glucose levels damage the blood vessels that provide the nerves with oxygen and nutrients.

Even though people with diabetes are more likely to have a heart attack than people without diabetes, there are five simple steps you can take to help lower your risk for heart disease.


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People with diabetes are vulnerable to a variety of complications over time. Health-care providers all agree that strict control of blood sugar makes complications less likely.

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Article originally appeared in 2005. As a woman with diabetes, you may have wondered how the disease affects menopause and vice versa. You also may have questions about taking hormones, especially after hearing the results of the Women’s Health Initiative.

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You may know that high blood glucose levels over the years can lead to nerve damage and heart disease. You may also know that diabetes can damage the retinas in your eyes. But did you know that diabetes may cause another problem for your eyes called “dry eye”?

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The August, 2002 issue of the Journal of Diabetes Care reports research led by Dr. Constance Bacon of Harvard School of Public Health. Her team of researchers suggest that the longer a man has had type 2 diabetes, the greater his chances of erectile dysfunction. 

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Foot Care Quiz

You may think, “it is no big deal, it is just a little sore,” but in the back of your mind, you know that if you have diabetes, even a little sore can cause major problems.

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People with diabetes are twice as likely to die from coronary artery disease as the non-diabetic population. Risk factors for heart disease that can't be changed are heredity  and increasing age. The older we get, the greater our risk for having a heart attack.

Article originally appeared in 2003. Most people are familiar with the classic risk factors for heart disease: high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and inactivity. But there is a new heart disease test you may be hearing about called C-reactive protein, or CRP.

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You know only too well that high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and, of course, high LDL (bad) cholesterol raise your risk for heart disease. But have you heard that high levels of homocysteine in the body may be one more risk factor for heart disease?

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It is now well-known that diabetes and heart disease are undeniably linked. In fact, diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease and people with diabetes are at increased risk of heart disease. Article originally appeared in 2002.

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Diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness in adults in the United States. Diabetic eye disease is an often silent disease that can sneak up on an individual and cause irreparable damage. Article originally appeared in 2002.

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Diabetes continues to be the most common cause of kidney disease because, for too many people, poor blood glucose control goes unchecked for years.

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It is very important for all Americans—men and women—to know their risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Over 18 million people in the United States currently live with this condition.

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One category of medication that some people with diabetes take to lower blood pressure is called diuretics. These are commonly called “water pills” because they help the body eliminate extra salt and water through the urine.

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Both men and women benefit from making healthier food choices, becoming more active, losing some weight and, if needed, taking medicines to improve blood fats (lipids) and lower blood pressure.

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Article originally appeared in 2002. The appearance of onychomycosis can vary, but most cases begin at the tip of the nail and slowly progress into the nail over a period of months to years. The nail will thicken as the fungus continues to grow.

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Type 2 diabetes is not a stable disease—it is progressive in nature. In fact, by the time someone is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, many changes may have already occurred in the body, including the start of heart disease.

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When nerves are damaged by diabetes, they become either less sensitive (you feel less than before) or more sensitive (you feel more than before). The way you will feel depends on which nerves are affected and how they are affected.

By maintaining good control of blood glucose and good foot health, people with diabetes can usually avoid foot-related complications. People with diabetes should have their feet checked by a foot health specialist at least once a year.

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People with diabetes may be prone to skin and foot problems. Here are a few simple things you can do every day to protect your skin and feet:

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A‘statin’ a day can keep a heart attack away. Heart disease is often thought of as a silent killer because you can have it without any warning signs. This makes it hard to diagnose until something happens. People with diabetes are at high risk for developing heart disease. 

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Do you ever wake up in the morning feeling stiff and tingly? Do you find that sometimes these feelings go away as the day goes on, but sometimes they don’t? For many people the problem is arthritis, but for others it is not.

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Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of avoidable death in the United States. It accounts for one out of every five, or almost 500,000 deaths each year. The statistics are even higher for people with diabetes.

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Smoking plays a role in one out of every five deaths in the United States per year. There is an increased risk of premature death and the development of heart disease in patients who have diabetes and continue to smoke. Article originally appeared in 2002.

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Diabetes damages nerves and blood vessels, making the body less able to feel and heal. In other words, if a small sore goes unnoticed, it can turn into a large wound.

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Teeth and gums probably don’t come to mind when you think of diabetes problems. But people with diabetes whose blood glucose is too high for a long time have a greater chance of developing dental problems than people without diabetes.

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When you have type 2 diabetes, it is likely that you also have heart disease. In fact, your heart problems might have started before you developed diabetes.

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Heart disease is the number one killer in America today. You may have heart disease or be at risk due to your family history, high blood pressure or other risk factors.

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Article originally appeared in 2003. Type 2 diabetes can develop slowly. Sometimes symptoms are not recognized and blood glucose levels can be higher than normal for a while before it is diagnosed.

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On February 4, 2004, The American Heart Association (AHA) announced new guidelines to help women prevent CVD. The type of prevention used for each person should depend on her risk of getting a heart attack over the next 10 years.

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Most, but not all, yeast infections are caused by fungal organisms that live in your mouth, gastrointestinal tract or skin. People have natural bacteria that keep a healthy amount of this fungus in their bodies. If this balance is lost, a yeast infection can develop.

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Article originally appeared in 2002. Cholesterol is a measure of fat and scar tissue deposits (called plaque) on blood vessel walls. The plaque builds up and can block the flow of blood through the vessel. Over time, the blockage can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

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