Diabetes and heart disease often go hand in hand. People with diabetes are at a much greater risk of having a stroke, heart attack and high blood pressure. This is because people with diabetes experience changes in the blood vessels that can lead to cardiovascular disease.

In diabetics the linings of the blood vessels become thicker making it more difficult for blood to flow through the vessels. When the blood flow is restricted heart problems or stroke can occur. Blood vessels throughout the body can also be damaged leading to kidney damage, sexual dysfunction in men, eye problems and poor circulation to the legs and feet.

What can you do to reduce your risk?

If you smoke, quit. It's no secret that smoking is bad for you. Smoking damages your health on many levels but smoking is especially bad for people with diabetes. Smoking restricts and damages your blood vessels, which in a person with diabetes compounds the damage to their blood vessels. If you smoke and have diabetes you more then double the risk of getting heart disease. If you smoke, do your heart a favor and quit.

If you are overweight then lose weight and keep it off. If you're overweight I'm guessing that you have been told many times to lose weight but this is especially important if you have diabetes.

By losing from 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can make a tremendous difference in your health. Many studies have shown that by losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight you will lower your blood pressure, make it easier to control your sugar, give you more energy and make you feel better.

You can easily lose some weight just by making some small lifestyle changes such as eat fresh fruit or carrot sticks as a snack, take a long walk each day, don't eat between meals, and eat slightly smaller portions.

Get more exercise each and every day. Movement is life, the more you move the more alive you are. Exercise is very important for people with diabetes. Exercise strengthens the cardiovascular system and helps keep the blood flowing to the legs and feet.

Regular exercise has been shown to help keep your blood sugar normal. Now you don't have to run out and get a gym membership and start bench pressing 500 pounds. Start small by going for a brisk walk each day and after doing this for a while add some resistance training in your workout. Have your doctor suggest an exercise plan that is just right for you.

By making some small simple changes you can drastically improve your health and lower your odds of developing cardiovascular disease.