If you suffer from diabetes, you already know that managing your health is an important daily task. From checking your blood sugars to watching what you eat, living with diabetes requires constant vigilance. Taking good care of yourself and managing your diabetes could save you a trip to your Manhattan cardiologist’s office.

1. Be Mindful of Diet and Exercise

If you have diabetes, your doctor has likely already told you that it’s important to control your weight. Maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent serious cardiac issues associated with diabetes. A registered dietitian can help you put together a diet and meal plan that keeps you feeling full and healthy.

Regular exercise can not only help you maintain your weight, but it can help keep your heart healthy. If you need an exercise plan, talk to your Manhattan doctor about working with a fitness expert to develop a plan that works for your individual health goals.

2. Give Up Smoking

Smoking isn’t good for anyone’s heart, but it can be especially dangerous for diabetics. Diabetes constricts blood vessels and causes problems with circulation. Smoking also affects circulation, which means your heart could be facing extra stress. Quitting smoking isn’t easy, but it’s a necessary step to keep your heart in good shape.

3. Control your Glucose and Cholesterol Levels

You already know that you need to watch your glucose levels, but this is the most crucial step in avoiding cardiovascular disease. Have your doctor check your cholesterol levels as well, to see if your bad cholesterol, LDL, needs to come down. If so, you can get your cholesterol levels under control with diet and exercise.

If you live with diabetes, your risk of cardiovascular disease is much higher. You’ll need to be careful to monitor your health daily to avoid an unexpected trip to your Manhattan cardiologist, Dr. Radwaner. If you have questions about preventing heart disease when you have diabetes, contact The New York Centers for Prevention of Heart Disease by calling (212) 717-0666.