Type 2 Diabetes

Because women withType 2 diabetes have high levels of insulin in their bloodstreams, they're more prone to blood clots. This may explain why 75 percent of people with Type 2 diabetes die of heart attacks or strokes. Women with diabetes are three times more likely to die of heart disease than women without diabetes. Type 2 diabetes doubles the risk for a second heart attack in women, but not in men.

Although there is no cure for Type 2 diabetes, women can help control this medical condition by maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that women with Type 2 diabetes could reduce their risk for heart attack or stroke by exercising regularly. Based on findings from this long-term CVD risk study of 3,000 people, researchers believe that regular exercise may improve a person's ability to dissolve blood clots and possibly lower the risk for CVD. Exercise makes the body more receptive to the effects of insulin.

References
1. Hu, F.B., et al. "Physical Activity and Risk of Stroke in Women," JAMA, 283:2961-2967; 2000.
2. "Diabetes Creates Higher Risks for Women with Coronary Artery Disease," American Heart Association, 2002.