Diabetes Dateline
Results of Diabetes-Heart Disease Link Survey Released
A poll of more than 2,000 people with diabetes has shown that 68 percent of them did not know about their risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in people with diabetes. The survey, commissioned by the American Diabetes Association, found that people knew little about ways to reduce their risk of CVD. Other results released at a Department of Health and Human Services press conference on February 19, 2002, showed that among older adults and Hispanics, awareness was even lower: 75 percent did not know their risk.
Although many people with diabetes know the importance of blood glucose control, survey results showed that more than half were unaware that blood pressure and blood cholesterol control are equally important. The Be Smart About Your Heart: Control the ABCs of Diabetes campaign of the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), in partnership with the American Diabetes Association, addresses this lack of awareness by stressing that people with diabetes need to control blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels to decrease their risk of CVD. In the campaign materials,
- A stands for the A1C test, the average blood glucose over the previous 3 months
- B is for blood pressure
- C is for cholesterol
Suggested targets for people with diabetes are
- A1C below 7
- Blood pressure below 130/80
- Cholesterol (LDL) below 100
To obtain materials, visit NDEP's website at http://ndep.nih.gov or call 1–800–438–5383 to order printed materials.
The American Diabetes Association and the American College of Cardiology are sponsoring a campaign called Make the Link! to increase public awareness of the link between CVD and diabetes. Other campaign goals include keeping health care providers up-to-date on the diagnosis and treatment of CVD and providing patients with information on their risk and treatment options for CVD.
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