Helping People with Diabetes Achieve Their Best Heart Health

Type 2 diabetes often leads to cardiovascular disease as high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels and the heart. Over time, this damage can lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol, straining the cardiovascular system further.

Type 2 diabetes also can accelerate atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries, leading to narrowed or blocked blood vessels and contributing to cardiovascular disease such as heart attack (myocardial infarction) and heart failure.

About 1 in 5 people with Type 2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus) develop heart failure, according to the American Diabetes Association. Cardiovascular disease — such as heart attack and stroke — is the leading cause of death among people with Type 2 diabetes.

Cardiometabolic is a medical term that describes the significant overlap between heart disease and diabetes, a metabolic syndrome. The Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Cardiometabolic Clinic was established to help individuals with cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes (or prediabetes) live a life free of heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and progressive kidney disease. Norton Heart & Vascular Institute is the first health care system in Kentucky to join the Cardiometabolic Center Alliance. The goal of the alliance is to improve the care of patients with Type 2 diabetes and related cardiovascular and kidney diseases that increase the risk of poor health outcomes.

Our focus on cardiometabolic disease provides a dedicated team of specialists and services to provide comprehensive care for patients with:

Why Choose Coordinated Care at the Cardiometabolic Clinic

Cardiometabolic Clinic patients have access to specific diabetes and heart care including:

• Individualized treatment plans to improve outcomes
• Medication assistance, including:
  • Education from pharmacy on how to administer medications
  • Support with prior authorizations and patient assistance programs to help you afford your prescription medications
• Participation in the nationwide Cardiometabolic Center Alliance registry
• Opportunities to access new treatments through clinical trials
• One-on-one consultation with a dietitian specializing in diabetes
• Personal counseling by a clinical pharmacist

Specialists on Your Care Team

• Preventive cardiologists: These physicians focus on the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
• Advanced practice providers: These specialists partner with the preventive cardiologist to provide care and treatment.
• Clinical pharmacists work directly with physicians, advanced practice providers and patients to ensure the medications prescribed promote your overall health and wellness and you tolerate them well.
• Diabetes educators are specialized health professionals who have received additional education in diabetes and work alongside you, providing guidance and encouragement related to diabetes care
• Nurse navigators advocate for you, helping you navigate treatment and connect you to needed resources.
• Dietitians provide expertise in nutritional issues to help you use food and nutrition to promote better overall health.
• Diabetologists are physicians who specialize in the study, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes.
• Certified medical assistants provide support with prior authorizations and patient assistance programs to help you find affordable options for prescription medications