can lead to a heart attack, stroke, or other debilitating disease. Indeed, women with diabetes are 3 to 7 times more likely than women without diabetes to develop heart disease. If you have diabetes, diet, exercise, and medication are essential to regulate your blood sugar level. Long-term control of blood sugar in people with diabetes is measured with a glycosylated hemoglobin test; glycosylated hemoglobin levels should ideally be less than 7%. What Medications Are Available to Prevent Heart Disease? Women who are considered to be at highest risk for developing heart disease, including those who already have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, are most likely to benefit from drug therapy. Drugs that lower blood pressure or favorably affect cholesterol and triglyceride levels have been shown to prevent heart attacks or increase survival in high-risk women. Antihypertensive medications are drugs that lower blood pressure. If, after attempting the lifestyle changes detailed above, your blood pressure stays at 140/90 mm Hg or higher (130/80 mm Hg or higher if you have diabetes), your doctor will likely prescribe one of these drugs. Because different patients respond differently to these medications, you may need to go through a trial period to find out which drug works best for you with the fewest side effects. Diuretics, or "water pills," are often the first medication chosen. Diuretics lower blood pressure by eliminating excess salt and water from the body. Beta-blockers lower blood pressure by slowing the heart rate and reducing the force of the