People with diabetes are at a higher risk of suffering heart attack, experts say and recommend routine health checkups and lifestyle modification to keep the condition in check.

With 69.2 million people suffering from diabetes, India is among the top 10 countries in the world suffering from the condition, according to International Diabetes Federation's Diabetes Atlas. Apart from that, 36.5 million people suffer from pre-diabetes conditions. "Diabetes damages blood vessels, making a person more prone to cardiovascular diseases. It is strongly recommended that all people with diabetes have their heart disease risk factors checked as aggressively and routinely as people who have already had heart attacks," said Dr RN Kalra Cardiologist, Medical Director and CEO of Kalra Hospital.

Dr Ajay Kumar Ajmani, Endocrinologist at BLK Super Speciality Hospital said studies have proven that diabetic patients are prone heart disease at a young age. "A new study has also revealed that people with undetected diabetes have a higher risk of a heart attack. Hence, routine health checkups to detect a diabetic condition can help in reducing the risk of heart diseases as well," he said.

Dr Archana Dhawan Bajaj, gynaecologist, obstetrician and IVF expert at Nurture IVF Centre said diabetes puts pregnant women at high risks of congenital malformations in the fetus including heart defects, genital urinary defects, caudal syndrome and multiple others defects. Maternal diabetes also carries an increased risk of fetal loss and major congenital malformations. High blood pressure during pregnancy and preeclampsia are more common in women with diabetes, she said.

"In severe cases, there may be risk of heart failure. The effects of gestational diabetes in the growing fetus can be minimised by proper antenatal care, strict sugar control, lifestyle modifications, and care during delivery," the doctor explained. Experts recommend regular check-ups, lifestyle modification which includes regular exercise, at least 30 minutes brisk walk five days a week, nutritious diet, quitting smoking and alcohol to keep diabetes at bay.