The Survey Says - Diabetes Creates Serious
Cardiovascular Risk
Courtesy of the American Diabetes Association
According to survey findings presented at the June 17, 2002 American Diabetes Association's 62nd Annual Scientific Sessions, physicians believe that having diabetes is the highest risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Diabetes ranked higher than smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or obesity. The survey was commissioned by the American Diabetes Association and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and consisted of 900 physicians. Of the 17 million people living with diabetes, 65 percent will die from a heart attack or stroke.
Primary Care Physicians and endocrinologists believe their patients perceive amputation and blindness as the greatest risks of diabetes are not aware of their increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Diabetes is more than managing blood glucose but it is also about managing blood pressure and cholesterol. Up to 60 percent of adults with diabetes have hypertension and nearly all have one or more lipid abnormality. Very few people with diabetes could name important methods for reducing their risk for heart attack or stroke, such as taking mediations, lowering cholesterol, quitting smoking and reducing blood pressure.
education is a vital factor in improving patients understanding their risks. There American Diabetes Association and the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) has teamed up to promote their new Be Smart About Your Heart campaign. This campaign focuses on the ABC's of diabetes:
- "A" is for the AIC test, a measure for the average blood glucose over the last three months.
- "B" is for blood pressure
- "C" is for cholesterol.
The goal is to increase awareness to risks to diabetes patients and work more closely with their physicians to control risk factors.
