Diabetes greatly increases your risk of having a stroke. People who have diabetes are 1.5 times more likely to have a stroke than those who do not have the disease.

Keeping your diabetes under control can reduce the risk of a stroke, and can help you improve your overall health and wellbeing. Here is what you need to know about how diabetes can lead to a stroke.

Stiffer blood vessels

Your body does not use glucose in the blood properly when you have diabetes. Diabetes damages the blood vessels. This can cause arterial stiffness and make it more difficult for the blood and oxygen to get to the brain. This can result in a stroke.

Fatty deposits

Individuals who have extra sugar in the blood can also develop fatty deposits in the blood that cause blood clots to form on the walls of blood vessels. The fatty deposits also restrict the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.

The more out of control your blood glucose levels are, the worse it becomes for your overall health. There are other issues that can exacerbate the risks of stroke for people who have diabetes, including smoking, obesity, being over 55 years of age. Some other risks include having heart disease or a family history of heart disease, previous strokes, and ancestry.