Connection Type 1 Diabetes + heightened risk for heart attacks

1

I have recently read some unsettling statistics about the connection between Diabetes and heart attacks/ heart failure. Although of course I knew there was a connection, the numbers really shocked me – apparently something like 60 % of all diabetics die of such a cause – also I read that the risk of a diabetic person to have a heart attack is the same as a non-diabetic who already had a heart attack!
Does anyone know more about this? Surely the related risk factors like metabolic syndrome (e.g. blood pressure, high cholesterol etc) play a major part?
Is there are correlation between good glycemic control and reduced risk?
Or am I still at severe risk even if I dont have high blood pressure, am slim and maintain a good A1c? What can I do to further reduce my risk?
As you can probably tell, this is quite an issue for me as heart disease and high BP run in my family...

Thankful for any info and suggestions (preferably positive ;)

2

Yes, there is a relation between A1C and macrovascular complications like heart attacks etc. The relation is not as strong as with microvascular complications.

Even though there is a relation with A1C, for both macrovascular and microvascular complications, the increased risk does not vanish, no matter how low the A1C.

High blood pressure is also a risk factor for both macrovascular and microvascular complications. And on top of that, like you, I have a long family history of heart disease in males in my family. My doc has me on some moderately aggresive blood pressure targets and some very aggressive cholesterol targets, aiming for BP and LDL well below the targets for non-diabetics. (LDL under 60; BP under 70/110).