Diabetes Can Break Your Heart in More Ways Than One

This post was sponsored as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Did you know that people with Type 2 Diabetes(T2D) are 2x more likely to develop heart failure, and after it develops, there is no cure? After a heart failure(HF) diagnosis, survival rates are 50% at 5 years and 10% at 10 years. I honestly had no idea that there was a correlation between the two, but now that I do I am even more determined to live a healthy lifestyle. My grandma lived with diabetes when I was growing up and now my mom is dealing with the same.

My mom takes a pill every day to deal with hers and has to check her blood sugar levels multiple times per day to make sure that everything is in check.  Lately her sugar has been a little higher than we would like, but she has started walking again with the hopes of getting this back into the normal range.

My mom is my best friend, and I want her to be around as long as possible so I will do my best to support in living a healthy lifestyle as well.  Food has always been an important aspect of our life.  Family dinner, dinners out at our favorite restaurants.  Some of my favorite family memories have been centered around the dining room table.

Diabetes Can Break Your Heart is a national movement that aims to change the trajectory of heart failure in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can break your heart – don’t let it! There are actions you can take today that can make a huge difference in reducing your risk tomorrow. At the core 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 was unveiled in a recent at #AHA19 and uses cutting-edge technology to bring to live 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.

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.  Educate yourself and learn how your can help yourself and your loved ones protect their heart and yours from one of the biggest heartbreaks of all.

References

  1. American Diabetes Association. 10. Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2019. Diabetes Care. 2019;42(suppl 1):S103-S112.
  2. 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.