It has been proven that those who have been affected by diabetes are more prone to heart diseases than others. This is because in people affected by diabetes, heart diseases have been found to progress more quickly. Due to diabetes problem, a problem called atherosclerosis may occur due to which arteries get hardened. This problem may happen even when cholesterol levels go up also.
It is a known fact that lipoproteins like LDLs and HDLs are carriers of cholesterol in the body. The circulatory system needs cholesterol to a certain extent and this is supplied by LDLs, otherwise known as low-density proteins. The job of HDLs, otherwise known as high-density proteins is to carry the unused cholesterol back to the liver. Excessive cholesterol levels will result in the LDLs depositing the unused and left-over cholesterol on to the blood vessels. Of course, HDLs will try their best to carry the unused cholesterol back to the liver but they fail to do its job completely if the cholesterol levels are very high. Plaque is formed on the walls of the blood vessels and hence they become narrow. This may lead to blood clots, strokes and heart attacks. Therefore, it is important that diabetes-affec
Another problem with diabetics is that the glucose present in the blood has a capacity to slow down the work of LDLs. Due to this, cholesterol levels build up more quickly and they may settle on the walls of the blood vessels. Therefore, diabetics will do well by keeping their cholesterol levels lower than other people.
In addition to taking medicines for lowering cholesterol levels, diabetics should make suitable changes to their eating habits. They should completely avoid foods that contain bad fats. They should shift to foods that contain only good fats. Foods that are made of wholesome grains are very good. Foods that are made processed flour, white flour and refined flour contain more of bad carbohydrates and hence they should be avoided. They should opt for low-fat dairy foods only. Red meat must be avoided and more of fish is recommended. They should choose the right protein sources. The most important thing is that they should eat liberal quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables, greens and other leafy vegetables. Instead of snacking on oily and junk foods, snacking on salads and fruits is advised.
Diabetics should do a minimum of 45 minutes of exercises daily without fail. If they are smokers, they should quit this habit forthwith. They should also keep monitoring their blood sugar levels and also cholesterol levels.
By taking these steps and precautions, diabetics can also lead a healthy and normal life and need not fear of heart attacks and strokes.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raman_Kuppuswamy
No comments:
Post a Comment