Aug. 20, 2019—If you have type 2 diabetes, you may know you're at a higher risk for heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular (CV) problems. But how often do you talk to your doctor about ways to lower your risk?
It might be a good idea to regularly review your lifestyle habits with your doctor, according to a new study.
It found that people with type 2 diabetes who talked with their doctor at least once a month about changing lifestyle habits had a lower risk for CV problems than people who talked with their doctor about habits less often.
The study looked at medical records of more than 19,000 people with uncontrolled blood sugar. All were being seen in a primary care clinic between 2000 and 2014.
Those who discussed their lifestyle habits with their doctor at least monthly had their blood sugar levels go down. They also had fewer CV problems. And they were less likely to die from any cause over the next two years.
According to the authors of the study, the message for doctors is that it's vital to have these talks until a patient's blood sugar is under control.
The message for patients is that they should ask their doctor at every office visit what they can do to help prevent a heart attack or stroke.
The study was published in the journal Diabetes Care.