In a joint statement, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and American Heart Association (AHA) agree that lifestyle and medical interventions can help to prevent the development of heart disease in people with diabetes.

The clinical research journal Diabetes Care, outlines joint guidelines that encourage more aggressive prevention and treatment of the risk factors leading to heart disease, the number one killer of people with diabetes. Basic lifestyle changes include weight loss, CVD risk factors, increased physical activity, nutrition therapy, and weight control. In addition, the statement calls for increased medical interventions, such as the use of statins, ACE inhibitors, and other drugs to manage lipids, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels in people with diabetes. The recommendations apply equally to people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

These joint guidelines are part of a collaborative ongoing effort to strengthen efforts in the fight against cardiovascular disease, which affects two out of three people with diabetes. Once a person with diabetes has a heart attack or stroke, they do much worse than people without diabetes. Increase your chances of preventing an irreconcilable cardiovascular event. Good news for diabetics when it comes to diabetes and heart disease - at least one of them is preventable.