Type 2 diabetes increases heart disease risk

According to the U.S. department of health's national diabetes education program, about 65% of people with type 2 diabetes die from heart disease and stroke, in part because these people also suffer from high rates of elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and obesity.

"Lifestyle factors lead to type 2 diabetes and that, in turn, affects your overall heart health," said Dr. Howard Berlin with Memorial Regional's Cardiac and Vascular Institute.

In 2000, Hollywood City attorney Jeff Sheffel was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

"I remember the doctor telling me I was diabetic and handing me a prescription for pills but I didn't want to be on medication for the rest of my life," he said.

Instead, Sheffel shed 45 pounds through diet and exercise.

"I pretty much had my diabetes under control then I put on weight recently and I knew my numbers probably weren't good," Sheffel said.

In fact, he learned during a Local 10 News heart month special series that his diabetes was not controlled.

"This needs to be taken care of now," said Berlin.

Memorial Healthcare endocrinologist Dr. Paul Jellinger said people with diabetes have a two to three-fold incidence of heart disease and the damage starts early.

"It develops in the pre-diabetes stage before the patient has graduated to true diabetes," he said.

To reduce the risk of heart disease, Jellinger said people with pre-diabetes should be treated as aggressively for cholesterol and blood pressure as those with diabetes.

"In terms of the blood sugar, it's a little less clear if treating the blood sugar in pre-diabetes reduces the risk or not," he said.

Jellinger said it's possible to lower blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol through diet and exercise but few people are successful with lifestyle changes alone.

"Fortunately, we have newer medications that are working well at bringing down cholesterol levels and keeping blood sugar in check with limited side effects," he said.

Sheffel still hopes renewing his diet and exercise program will allow him to avoid medication.

"I know I really have to hit it on all points," Sheffel said.