Poor blood sugar control can lead to dramatically increased risk of death from stroke. In fact, two-thirds of people with diabetes will die from a stroke or heart attack, according to a recent article from MyOptumHealth.com.
Strokes happen when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, depriving the brain of oxygen. Those that don’t die from a stroke can suffer from paralysis, vision and speech problems and personality changes. Symptoms of a stroke include trouble speaking, confusion, vision troubles, dizziness and balance problems, and numbness in the arms, legs or face (usually only on the left side of the body).
All people with diabetes have an elevated risk of stroke, but the risk is even greater if your blood sugar is not controlled, if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, if you smoke or are overweight.
Many of the suggested precautions to lessen the risk of stroke are common sense, including maintaining good blood sugar control, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a ‘heart-healthy” diet, exercise at least 30 minutes a day, don’t smoke, keep your blood pressure in check and check with your doctor about taking low-dose aspiring, which may lower the risk of stroke in some people.
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