Diabetes is a quiet killer, effectively doubling heart attack risk in men and tripling it in women.

Having diabetes means that your body cannot process insulin, the hormone that transforms sugar from the food you eat into energy.

When this happens, the excess sugar (glucose) builds up in the blood, damaging vessels and paving the way not only for heart attack, but also blindness, stroke, kidney failure, and amputations.

Diabetes is also one of a group of conditions that, occurring together, are referred to as “metabolic syndrome.”

Having metabolic syndrome hikes your heart disease risk even higher.

While diabetes is a dangerous disease, you don’t have to fear it, because the power to beat it rests within you. Losing weight, eating healthy, and exercising can prevent or even cure diabetes.

One of the best ways to do this is by walking. Just like the creation of new blood vessels, when you walk, your body actually creates temporary insulin receptors, enabling the hormone to be used more effectively.

This is the year to pave your way to your triumph over heart disease. As they say: “The waiting time is over.”