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Healthy Living · article

Are diabetes and strokes related?

A mature African-American woman smiles while outdoors on a fall day.

A stroke is a common and very serious life-threatening condition that happens when blood cannot get to the brain or leaks in and around the brain. Stroke risk factors, including diabetes, can make you more likely to have a stroke. Did you know? A person with diabetes is 1.5 times more likely to experience a stroke than a person without diabetes.

Connie Mastrangelo, MSN, RN, stroke program manager with Atlantic Health System’s Morristown Medical Center, explains why diabetes can increase your risk of stroke. She also shares what you can do to manage your diabetes and lower your stroke risk.

How can diabetes cause a stroke?

When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use insulin as well as it should. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body convert sugar to energy.

“If the body doesn’t make enough insulin, high levels of sugar stay in the bloodstream,” explains Mastrangelo. “Too much sugar in the bloodstream may lead to risks for many health conditions, such as stroke.”

Left unmanaged, increased blood sugar from diabetes can result in heart disease and the buildup of fatty deposits inside blood vessels.

“These fatty deposits in the blood vessels block the flow of blood to the brain,” says Mastrangelo. “When blood flow to the brain stops, you experience a stroke, and that part of the brain begins to die.”

You may be at a higher risk for developing diabetes and stroke if you:

  • Have high blood pressure
  • Have high cholesterol
  • Have poor eating habits or are overweight
  • Smoke
  • Are over age 45 (increases your risk for diabetes) or over 55 (increases your risk for stroke)
  • Have a family history of diabetes or stroke
  • Have a sleep disorder or don’t get enough sleep

Ways to lower your risk of diabetes and stroke

The best way to lower your risk of stroke from diabetes is first, to know your risk of diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has a 60-second risk test for Type 2 diabetes.

If you’re diagnosed, make sure you take action to self-manage and treat diabetes, which lowers your risk of stroke. Remember to keep your health on TRACK:

T: Take the medicines your provider prescribes.  

R: Reach a healthy weight and maintain it.

A: Add more exercise and movement to your routine each day.

C: Control your ABCs — your A1C (blood sugar level), blood pressure and cholesterol.

K: Kick unhealthy habits, mainly smoking.

Mastrangelo emphasizes, “Being active is super important because it allows your body to better control blood sugar and use insulin. Staying active helps lower other diabetes and stroke risk factors, too, including high blood pressure.”

Published: December 23, 2024

Be proactive about your health

Staying up to date on annual wellness exams and screenings is important. So too, are the occasional trips to specialists to address sleep issues or any other health concerns that are nagging you.

Find a Primary Care DoctorFind a Diabetes Specialist

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