This means you need regular check-ups, and must monitor and control your blood pressure and cholesterol carefully. Talk to your doctor about getting a home blood-pressure monitor. Regular physician visits will also help keep your blood pressure under control, says the Mayo Clinic.

Your doctor may also prescribe medications such as daily aspirin or statin drugs to help reduce heart attack risk.

Bones
Osteoporosis, a condition that makes your bones less dense and more likely to break as you age, is linked to type 1 diabetes complications. That may be because people who develop diabetes at a young age don't gain as much bone density as healthy people, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

But type 2 diabetes can increase fracture risk, too. Typically, osteoporosis and breaks are more common in thin or frail people, because they have less padding to protect their weakened bones when they fall.

But people with type 2 diabetes tend to trip and fall more often, often due to vision problems and nerve damage in the feet. They're also more likely to be sedentary, a risk factor for osteoporosis, the NIH explains.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a panel of health-care experts, recommends routine osteoporosis screenings for women aged 65 and older. But your endocrinologist or diabetes specialist may recommend earlier screenings based on your risk factors. Osteoporosis has "silent" symptoms, so testing may reduce your risk of fractures.

Also ask your doctor if exercising more is a good idea.

"People should be cautious of doing too much exercise when they have diabetes and nerve damage, because the more walking you do, the more you risk injury [from falls] and foot ulcers," Rogers says.

But exercise can be beneficial if your doctor gives you the go-ahead.

"Even walking 10 minutes a day [can help] if you can't walk half an hour," Fradkin says.

Bone is living tissue that adjusts and evolves throughout our lives. These 19 tips for strong bones ^[1] will help whatever your age.