Diabetes & Heart Disease
Specialized care to protect your health

Heart disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related deaths. Dr. Patel has over a decade of experience and provides the latest, specialized diagnostics, preventive care and management for the heart conditions that are most often linked to diabetes. Diabetes puts you at significant risk for heart disease and stroke - up to four times greater risk than adults who do not have diabetes. Heart disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related deaths. Many of the risk factors associated with diabetes are directly related to cardiovascular health:

• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Lack of physical activity
• Cholesterol imbalances

Your family doctor, internist or endocrinologist can help you manage your lifestyle and keep your cholesterol and blood pressure controlled. Your physician may also want you to see a cardiologist for evaluation or care for a specific cardiovascular issue.

At Kishwaukee Cardiology Associates, board-certified cardiologist, Jagdish Patel, MD, FACC, works with area physicians to help people with diabetes control their risk factors and stay as healthy as possible, even if they already have cardiovascular problems.

Dr. Patel has over a decade of experience and provides the latest, specialized diagnostics, preventive care, and management for the heart conditions that are most often linked to diabetes, including:

• Complex cholesterol imbalances - almost all adults with diabetes have abnormal cholesterol levels, especially high LDL ("bad") cholesterol and low HDL ("good") cholesterol along with high triglycerides

• High blood pressure that is difficult to control

• Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) - which can lead to heart attack or stroke if left untreated

• Heart failure - a syndrome characterized by the heart's inability to pump blood

If you have questions about diabetes and your heart health, talk with your doctor or call Kishwaukee Cardiology Associates, today!