The Link Between Diabetes and Heart Disease: What You Need to Know
Feb 06, 2026
Diabetes affects over 38 million Americans, many of whom are undiagnosed or unaware of the condition. It occurs when your body is either unable to use insulin properly or unable to produce enough of it, leading to high glucose (sugar) levels that impact your entire system — including your heart and blood vessels.
John Terzian, MD, FACC, and our team at Bridgewater Primary Care & Cardiology, LLC, provide comprehensive, patient-focused diabetes management services. We specialize in identifying and treating cardiovascular risks that often accompany high blood sugar, to ensure your long-term wellness.
Don’t let heart disease sneak up on you. Let’s examine the connection between these two chronic illnesses and how you can prevent future complications.
The term “heart disease” refers to conditions that affect heart function, such as coronary artery disease (CAD), arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat), and cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease).
High glucose levels cause inflammation that damages blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart. This damage stiffens and narrows the arteries, restricting blood flow and putting extra stress on the heart muscle as it works to pump blood through smaller channels.
But diabetes rarely acts alone. It often occurs alongside other metabolic conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which accelerate vascular damage. Over time, the constant strain can lead to heart failure or cause built-up plaque to rupture, potentially resulting in a life-threatening heart attack or stroke.
The good news is that managing your diabetes effectively also lowers the chance of developing heart disease. By keeping your blood sugar within a healthy range, you reduce the inflammation in your blood vessels, slowing and even reversing the damage before it becomes permanent.
Here’s how you can proactively protect your cardiovascular system:
Though you may already watch your sugar intake to manage glucose levels, those healthy food choices also benefit your heart. Fiber-rich options, such as vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, slow glucose absorption and help remove “bad” LDL cholesterol from the body before it can harden into plaque.
Swapping saturated and trans fats — found in red meat and processed or fried foods — for lean proteins and healthy, unsaturated fats also prevents further irritation to the blood vessels. Nuts, seeds, avocados, and fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel, are great sources of heart-healthy fats.
Physical activity strengthens the heart muscle, helping it pump more blood with less effort. Exercise also makes your body more sensitive to insulin, which naturally lowers your blood sugar and reduces plaque buildup in your arteries.
Try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of moderately intense activity per day. Finding an activity you genuinely enjoy, such as hiking, swimming, or dancing, makes it easy and fun to stay consistent.
If you smoke or use tobacco products, quitting is the most important thing you can do to protect your heart health. Nicotine and other chemicals in tobacco narrow your blood vessels and deplete your blood oxygen levels, amplifying the damaging effects of diabetes.
Although a healthy lifestyle is vital, heart disease can still develop due to factors you can’t control, like age, sex, and genetics. For example, men are more likely to develop heart disease than women, and a family history of the condition can double your baseline risk.
Since cardiovascular issues typically develop without noticeable symptoms, regular screenings are necessary to catch them in their earliest, most treatable stages. Our primary care team monitors your A1C levels (average blood sugar), blood pressure, and cholesterol to manage your metabolic risk, while providing comprehensive heart and vascular tests to check for physical damage or blockages.
Start taking control of your cardiovascular wellness today. Reach out to our team online or by phone to schedule a consultation at Bridgewater Primary Care & Cardiology in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts.