Protecting your heart from diabetes: The silent threat of atherosclerosis

November 14 marks World Diabetes Day —a globally recognized awareness day led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) to highlight the impact of diabetes and promote more equitable access to diabetes care.

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This year's theme, ‘Diabetes and the Workplace,” emphasizes how work environments play a pivotal role in the well-being of people living with the condition. With approximately seven out of ten individuals with diabetes being of working age—and many facing hurdles such as stigma, exclusion, or burnout in their jobs—the workplace is a key space not just for managing diabetes, but for living well with it.

Beyond daily management, this awareness day also reminds us to look at the hidden risks diabetes brings to the heart, brain, and kidneys. One of the most serious of these is atherosclerosis, a silent condition that can lead to heart attack, stroke, and organ damage if left unchecked.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES

Diabetes often announces itself through subtle signs that many people overlook or dismiss.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some of the key warning signals include frequent urination—especially at night—intense thirst, unexplained weight loss, persistent hunger, blurry vision, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, unusually dry skin, slow-healing sores, and more frequent infections.

For Type 2 diabetes, these symptoms can develop very gradually, often over several years. For Type 1 diabetes, they may appear more suddenly and be more pronounced.

It is vital not to wait until things become severe. High blood sugar that goes unnoticed for years can quietly damage blood vessels, paving the way for atherosclerosis long before a person feels anything is wrong.

Living with diabetes, protecting your heart

Living with diabetes means more than simply taking a pill or checking your sugar—it's a daily journey of protecting your body from the inside out.