Risk for Heart Attack With Type 2 Diabetes

One study found that people with type 2 diabetes, who have not had a heart attack, have as high a risk for a future heart attack as a person without diabetes who has already had a heart attack.

In other words, your risk for a future heart attack is the same as the risk for a person without diabetes who has known heart disease.

This finding suggests that risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, and high blood-cholesterol levels, should be treated very aggressively in people with diabetes.

Some experts even recommend that people with type 2 diabetes take medication as if they already have heart disease. So if your diabetes-care team suggests specific treatment to lower your risk of heart attack, you should strongly consider giving it a try.