This post was sponsored as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
In February 2012, my mother found out she had adult-onset Type 2 Diabetes. Neither parent nor any other family member had it and it somewhat came as a shock to find this out.
Managing Type 2 Diabetes for Heart Health
My mom felt that her best weapon of defense was to educate herself so that she would know what the best regimen for her would be. She took Diabetes Education classes to help her manage her type 2 diabetes. She met with a nutritionist to support her with making food choices. She subscribed to a diabetes magazine to get the latest info. When she follows the proper diabetic plan, she feels that it helps her to be organized with the food choices she makes. She wants to be her own advocate. She keeps a daily log of her fasting blood sugar so she can track and stay in a routine.
She also feels that being active for at least 20 -30 minutes a day is key to taking care of yourself. My mom attributes visiting her primary care doctors as well as an ophthalmologist and podiatrist as good ways to manage her health and make good lifestyle changes.
Being aware of her health and taking care of herself are two ways my mom manages living with Type 2 Diabetes. Staying on top of her health is key. That is why we want to share this important information with you.
Did you know that there is an increased risk of HF that comes with T2D? To help spread awareness, we are sharing the AstraZeneca Diabetes Can Break Your Heart movement with you. We do not want diabetes to break anyone’s hearts especially when the statistics are alarming. Up to 50% of individuals with Type 2 diabetes may develop heart failure. Once it develops, there is no cure.
People can take action early to help reduce their risk of developing heart failure! The actions you take today can make a huge difference in reducing your risk tomorrow.
Protect Your Heart From Type 2 Diabetes
One component of the Diabetes Can Break Your Heart initiative is the Diabetes Heartbreaker immersive virtual reality experience designed to heighten awareness of the connection between Type 2 diabetes and heart failure. This integrated VR experience uses cutting-edge technology to bring to life the symptoms of heart failure.
Diabetes Can Break Your Heart will travel across America in 2020 to educate and activate communities around the inherent link between T2D and HF through an innovative and immersive experience. The tour will bring together local advocacy organizations, key community leaders, and the public, with the common goal to empower the diabetes community to demand more for their future.
This is the time to educate yourself and learn how Diabetes can break your heart. Just like my mom, be an advocate for your health and learn more now!
Talk to your doctor to understand your risk of heart failure and what immediate actions should be taken. To learn more about the Diabetes Can Break Your Heart movement, visit diabetesheartbreak.com
- American Diabetes Association. 10. Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2019. Diabetes Care. 2019;42(suppl 1):S103-S112.
- National Institutes of Health. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Heart Failure. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
health-topics/heart-failure. Last accessed September 16, 2019.
This is a really important post. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for posting this important information!
I am a diabetic thanks for the info
I am also a diabetic. Thanks for this great post.
Your mom is awesome for taking her own steps to stay healthy! I have Diabetes and I inject insulin and this is NO FUN! Plus the cost of the meds and the needles are NOT cheap!! My feet are cold/frozen all the time. Wounds don’t heal that fast anymore. My eyesight is blurry. It is a horrible disease! My doctor wants my heart checked every six months. Plus it is a hassle to carry syringes around every where. I am also take Novolog when I eat. It is a fast acting med so I don’t fall asleep right after I eat! My girlfriend had 3 toes amputated last week. I am really nervous about that! So please take care!! The key is not to get Diabetes in the first place! I pinned and shared this to my Facebook page. Thank you for sharing!! Keep up the good work Mom 😍
Thanks for the important article. My son is Type 2.
Both my hubby and I are Type 2 and this is such an important topic~ thanks for such an informative post!
Very helpful, useful information. I did not take heed. I was diagnosed with T2 25 years ago. In the past 11, I have lived with CHF and other ailments of the heart. TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH. It is precious.
Thanks for this its very important to know about Diabetes
My uncle couldn’t lay off the sweets & ended up going blind. Very sad!
Such amazing and useful tips! I plan to share with my hubby!
Diabetes effects so many things in our body. I really enjoyed this article. I pray a lot of people with diabetes reads this great information. Thank you so much for sharing
My hubby is a diabetic and it worries me with all the health issues associated with it. he controls it with diet, excercise, and meds.
My cousin has type 1 diabetes. And 2 of my 4 grandparent have type 2. I will share this info
This is so important. Diabetes affects so many people. Thank you for sharing.
i do not have diabetes but my mom does and i need helo to help her
Thank you for this very, very important topic
So Glad your Mom is taking care of herself, My father in law had to have his leg amputated due to diabetics, so this is such an important disease everyone needs to look out for.
Thanks so much for bringing such an important health issue!
I am a diabetic, I found out about two months ago and I’m on a med. I hate it but I try to follow the diet . Hope yourmom is doing good.
Practicing sports is the best way of living for diabetic people-
It seems there more cases of diabetes these days. I’ve often wondered if it’s because of the type of food we eat nowadays (non-organic, etc.).
Thank you for posting this important information. You are so right that educating yourself is key.
If unchecked, Diabetes can kill. Excellent article!
My husband has diabetes, and it is hard. Thanks for posting this useful info.
Thanks for sharing this with us. It is important to eat correctly and exercise. My roomie has Type 2.
Diabetes can be a deadly disease. It can affect so many things in our body. I really appreciate you sharing this great article. Thank you so much Happy New Years. God Bless
Thanks very much for this helpful information, we have a couple of members in our family with Diabetes, it’s a debilitating disease.
I have heart issues and was told to watch my sugar. I am not a diabetic but it just says that sugar can affect your heart.
Thank you for the resources and information on this issue!
My Mother is diabetic. This is useful information to have.
Thanks for the informative and motivating post! My very good friend has adult onset diabetes and managing it isn’t easy–I’ll send this article to her!
Thank you for sharing your mom’s story! So important to self-advocate! Doctors see so many patients, it’s really up to us to learn all we can about our health and health concerns. And then… take whatever steps necessary to keep our health on track!
My friend is diabetic, thanks for this article.
great info. thank you
Our son’s godfather has diabetes. It’s important to be mindful of your diet no matter what.
Thank you for writing this post. I am pre-diabetic and just starting to learn how important it is to protect my heart. I haven’t seen many articles on hearth health and diabetes so it was nice to find one.
Thank you for sharing this important information. I didn’t know there was such a strong connection between Type 2 diabetes and heart failure!
This is an inspiring article because your mom is so inspiring in educating herself and being open about these problems. No matter what the illness, those are excellent first steps!
both of my parents had diabetes as adults. i used to have to give my mother insulin shots and take your blood everyday. she had heart problems before she got diabetes.
I lived with Type 2 Diabetes for about ten years, and was starting to have neuropathy in my toes. I decided to try the 8 week blood sugar diet because I hated the side effects of the meds I was on, not to mention the side effects of diabetes itself. It was based on the diet that is required for people who have gastric bypass surgery. They have to eat very small amounts because their stomachs have been reduced. They often see their diabetes go into remission. The theory behind the diet is that it shocks the pancreas into working again. It’s VERY STRICT, just 800 calories a day. Do I recommend it? No, it’s very strict and my hair started to fall out (in fairness, I was not taking the daily vitamin supplements recommended like I should have.) But, it worked for me. I’ve been off all diabetes meds for 4 years, my A1C is at non-diabetic levels and foods that used to make my sugar sky rocket just don’t any more. So, I would say you have to be desperate to do it, but I’d do it again, because I was desperate.
I live this daily. I’ve been diabetic half of my life. I failed to take my disease seriously in the first 20 years after being diagnosed. Now that I have repercussions from it, I HAVE to be proactive. Take it seriously. It is a silent killer.
Thanks so much for sharing this with us!
My aunt is Diabetic. I know its very hard to take good care of your body after you diagnosed with Diabetics. Thanks for sharing all useful information.
Important to know, diabetes is too common even now!
My husband had diabetes. It is a very destructive disease. Thanks for sharing.
Diabetes is a scary illness. It can slowly take away everything from the sensation in you feet to your eyesight to your kidney function. I hope your Mom stays well.
I am a diabetic and it is so much to learn and deal with daily. When I was first diagnosed I went to classes but I still find out information on a regular basis. Thanks for sharing!
This information is important! Thanks for such really useful tips!
Its good that she found out and is learning to manage and understand what she needs to do to be healthy. It is good for the family to see and understand who knows someday one of them might need to understand it
My father was diabetic. It ultimately damaged his kidneys to the point where when he was hospitalized, he couldn’t recover from the amount of broad spectrum antiobiotic they gave him to treat pnemonia. I lost him back in September and it’s hard every day. Think about him all the time.
Really great post! Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your story – I can really relate to this as Diabetes runs in my family too. We all have to be very cautious and focus on preventative care