Diabetes and Cholesterol

If you have diabetes, you're more likely to have more cholesterol abnormalities- which contributes to cardiovascular disease. Managing your cholesterol, and especially lowering LDL cholesterol, reduces your chance of cardiovascular disease and death. In fact, a person with diabetes who lowers his LDL cholesterol can reduce the risk of having a heart attack by up to 42 percent.

A lipid profile is a measure of different kinds of fats in your blood. Your healthcare provider determines your lipid profile based on your total cholesterol,LDL("bad") cholesterol, HDL ("good") cholesterol and triglyceride (blood fats) levels.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance in your blood that your liver makes. It's found in foods from animals, such as egg yolks, meat, fish, poultry and whole-milk dairy products. Your body uses cholesterol to make hormones and build cell membranes and other needed tissues. But if too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the bloodstream, it can build up in the inner walls of the arteries and lead to fatty deposits of plaque called atherosclerosis.

Diabetes tends to lower "good" cholesterol and raise "bad" cholesterol levels, which increases the risk for heart disease and stroke. This common condition is called diabetic dyslipidemia. "Diabetic dyslipidemia means your lipid profile is going in the wrong direction. It's a deadly combination that puts patients at risk for premature coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis," said Richard Nesto, M.D., a spokesperson for the American Heart Association.

Some people may also need to take a cholesterol-lowering medication. Ask your doctor about the effects your diabetes medication may have on your cholesterol, since some may improve your lipid profile.

By Dr. Michael Anesta, a board certified cardiologist in Delray Beach, Florida.