Does High Cholesterol Cause Diabetes? Facts You Must Know!

Cholesterol and diabetes are two different conditions. Cholesterol is the condition of excessive lipoproteins in the cells of your body.

On the other hand, diabetes is a disease that occurs due to the high amount of glucose in your blood. Both conditions affect your heart health.

High cholesterol and high blood sugar damage your arteries and leads to coronary artery diseases. Have you ever thought about if there is any connection between high cholesterol and diabetes?

The article explores the relationship between high cholesterol and diabetes. Read on to find the answers regarding the link between cholesterol and diabetes.

A Brief Introduction To High Cholesterol

High cholesterol is a condition of excessive lipids in the bloodstream. The liver produces a small amount of cholesterol needed for several functions. But, it also produces from the food that you eat.

When it exceeds its limit, the fatty substances start to deposit in different parts of the body. The high deposit of fats builds up plaque in the arteries. The regular deposits grow over the years and build a blockage in the blood vessels.

The block makes it difficult to carry blood to the heart. High cholesterol ultimately results in coronary artery diseases. High cholesterol may occur due to genital disorder or through an unhealthy lifestyle.

However, all cholesterol is not harmful to your health. A limited amount of cholesterol is essential for the smooth functioning of the body. A blood test can show whether you are diagnosed with high cholesterol or not.

Generally, there are three types of lipids. The amount of these lipids determine your cholesterol background. The three types of lipoproteins are,

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)

It is a bad cholesterol that makes plaque in your arteries and leads to heart disease.

• High-density lipoprotein (HDL)

HDL is a good cholesterol that carries excessive cholesterol in the blood and carries it back to the liver. 

• Triglyceride

Triglyceride is also similar to low-density lipoprotein. It is the most common type of fat found in the body. High level of triglycerides causes high cholesterol.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a lifelong disease that affects how the body turns food into energy. The body breaks down most of the food that you eat and converts them into sugar (glucose).

The glucose is mixed into your bloodstream. The high-level blood sugar signals your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin plays a vital role in converting blood sugar into energy.

If you have excessive levels of blood sugar in the body, your body couldn’t make enough insulin or can’t be properly done its functions.

When there is not enough insulin or cells can’t respond to insulin, the excessive glucose stays in the bloodstream.

The higher amount of glucose level leads to serious health problems. It mainly affects coronary artery diseases and also kidney diseases and vision loss. 

Diabetes is divided into three types:

• Type 1 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes
• Gestational diabetes

Type 1 diabetes

This type of chronic condition makes no insulin. Insulin is an essential hormone that lets sugar enter the cells to produce energy. There are several reasons cause type 1 diabetes. The exact reason is still unclear.

However, it comes due to environmental factors like viruses, genetics, etc. The condition generally appears in children. Having blurry vision, weight loss, excessive urinating, feeling very hungry, and mood swings are some of the common symptoms of type 1 diabetes. 

Type 2 diabetes

The body produces insulin in type 2 diabetes. But it doesn’t use properly. This type of diabetes is the most common type found in people.

Research shows that about 29 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It can be controlled by following a proper diet, exercising, etc.

This type of diabetes is usually found in middle-aged or elder persons. Being cranky, having blurry vision, fatigue, over thirsty, weight loss, and feeling hungry are some of the common symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

An excessive amount of glucose from the liver, genes, and extra weight can cause this chronic disease. 

Gestational diabetes

This type of diabetes is mainly diagnosed during the pregnancy period. It occurs when your body can’t produce enough insulin during the pregnancy period.  It can be controlled by healthy eating, exercise, and taking proper medications.

It helps to make a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby as well. The statistics reveal that every year 2% to 10% of pregnancies in the united states are diagnosed with gestational diabetes.   

How Does Diabetes Influence Cholesterol Levels?

Diabetes reduces good cholesterol levels and raises triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins in the body. The high-level LDL and triglycerides affect heart health and lead to heart attack, stroke, etc.

The excessive amount of blood sugar directly affects high cholesterol and heart-related problems. This condition is medically known as diabetic dyslipidemia.

Low levels of high-density lipoproteins and high levels of triglycerides and bad cholesterol are the symptoms of diabetic dyslipidemia. It doesn’t have any visible symptoms in the body.

You need to update the cholesterol level to find whether you detect diabetic dyslipidemia.

According to The American Heart Association,  several factors influence high cholesterol. Diabetes is considered one of the seven major risk factors for coronary artery disease.

Doctors strongly recommend to people with type 2 diabetes should also check their cholesterol levels. Because working with high cholesterol, diabetes is more likely to develop severe health conditions. 

Do Cholesterol And Diabetes Cause Coronary Artery Diseases?

Yes. both conditions have similar features of damaging your heart health. As aforementioned, the main reason is diabetic dyslipidemia.

Mainly coronary artery diseases occur due to the deposit of fat and other substances in the wall of the arteries. High cholesterol deposits excessive fat in the various body parts.

Especially the deposition is high in your arteries. It builds up plaque in the walls of arteries. It ruins the proper blood flow and your heart takes extra effort to pump blood through those areas. It causes several heart diseases like heart attack and stroke.

Similar to cholesterol, diabetes is harmful to your heart health. When you have diabetes, you are more prone to the risk of heart disease.

If you have an excessive amount of blood sugar levels for a while, your blood vessels will start to get damaged soon.

Ultimately it leads to severe health complications. The high-level blood sugar sticks to your blood cells and builds up a block in the passage of blood flow.

It also damages the vessels carrying blood to and from your heart. Even a slight change in blood sugar can ruin your heart health. 

How Can You Reduce High Cholesterol And Diabetes?

It’s important to take treatment for reducing both conditions. Because the high level of both conditions brings out extreme complications to your health.

Taking proper treatments can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.  Both conditions can be manageable by following healthy food consumption.

Food is the main source of producing fat and glucose in the body. So, controlling food is crucial for maintaining a neutral level of cholesterol and blood sugar. Diabetes and cholesterol are interrelated.

Having diabetes leads to high cholesterol. Doctors recommend that people over the age of 20 years get their cholesterol levels checked at least every 2-4 years.

People with diabetes should check their cholesterol more frequently. Following are some of the tips that would beneficial for reducing both lipid levels and the amount of blood sugar.

• Diet 

A proper diet can reduce the amount of fat and glucose level in the body. Reducing saturated fat can make big difference in the amount of LDL.

Avoiding saturated and trans fat helps to increase good cholesterol by removing unwanted triglycerides and LDL.

Usually, health experts suggest that including foods that are rich in fiber and whole grains are beneficial for improving cholesterol and glucose level in the body.

Consuming foods like soybeans, blueberries, salmon, flax seeds, avocado, and whole oats is good for reducing cholesterol levels.

A person with diabetes and high cholesterol should completely avoid foods including added sugar or salt and saturated fat.

• Exercise 

Exercise protects you from several diseases. Regular exercise is beneficial in keeping a person healthy. It is one of the best ways for reducing bad cholesterol and excessive blood sugar.

Physical activities can burn the extra calories in your body and makes your body fit. Therefore, doctors recommend that people with diabetes exercise most days of the week.  

• Quit smoking

Smoking is one of the main risk factors that lead to several heart diseases. Avoiding smoking habits and the use of tobacco products can reduce bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels. 

• Quit drinking alcohol

Moderate consumption of alcohol doesn’t affect your cholesterol level. But excessive consumption of alcohol increases the number of triglycerides.

It gradually leads to cardiovascular diseases. It’s better to stay away from alcohol. If you want to drink a glass of wine or beer, take advice from your doctor. 

Conclusion 

High cholesterol occurs due to several reasons. Diabetes is one among others. Both diseases damage your heart health.

It’s better to take a blood test to know about the count of cholesterol and blood sugar. If you feel any symptoms, consult a doctor as soon as possible. It’s better to seek medical help before it turned into severe complications.