How often should I be screened for heart disease if I have diabetes?

How often should I be screened for heart disease if I have diabetes?

Anne Peters, MD, FACP, CDE (Professor and Director of Clinical Diabetes Programs, USC Keck School of Medicine) gives expert video advice on: What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes?; When should I get emergency care if I have diabetes?; Why should I should I have my urine checked if I have diabetes? and more...

People with diabetes have many risk factors for heart disease. The major risk factors are high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels. Those abnormal cholesterol levels include in particular a low level of HDL, or "good" cholesterol, and a high triglyceride level. We recommend that people with diabetes have their blood pressure checked every time they come see the doctor, and that really the blood pressure is very well controlled. If someone has heart disesase we probably check their cholesterol level two to three times a year. If someone doesn't have heart disease and has normal cholesterol levels we check their cholesterol levels once a year.We tend to be very aggressive at treating both blood pressure and cholesterol levels in people with diabetes because their risk for heart atack and stroke is so high.