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Many
Diabetics Ignorant of Heart Risk
(HealthScoutNews)
-- A surprisingly large percentage of diabetics are not aware
they face major heart disease and stroke risks, a survey finds.
"One problem
is that the major focus has been on diabetes itself and controlling
blood sugar, because that is the recognizable part of diabetes.
Many don't know that 75 percent of them will die of heart disease
and stroke down the line," says Dr. Sidney C. Smith Jr., chief
science officer of the American Heart Association (AHA), which
released the survey results today.
Only a third
of those surveyed listed heart disease among the "most serious"
diabetes-related complications, he says.
The survey
was sponsored by Partners Against Insulin Resistance (PAIR), an
educational program underwritten by two pharmaceutical companies.
PAIR focuses on the effects of insulin resistance, a condition
in which the body cannot use the insulin it produces effectively.
Insulin resistance is a major factor in adult-onset diabetes.
One effect of insulin resistance is to tip the balance of blood
lipids toward the dangerous side, increasing levels of artery-clogging
LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Only 52 percent
of the 532 adult-onset diabetes patients in the survey recognized
the term insulin resistance, and slightly more than 50 percent
recognized that insulin resistance is associated with an increased
risk of cardiovascular disease, the survey finds.
"The very
people who should be most aware of the association often are not,"
Smith says.
Meanwhile,
75 percent of the diabetics in the survey reported one or more
major risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Nearly half had
high blood pressure, 28 percent had high cholesterol and 28 percent
had blood circulation problems.
"The survey
makes the American Heart Association feel that there is an opportunity
and a challenge here," Smith says. "We are initiating several
programs in two directions. The first is to educate diabetics
about the problem of heart disease, and the second is to make
physicians more aware of the problem."
The AHA will
work with other organizations, such as the American Diabetes Association
(ADA), Smith says. Meanwhile, the ADA is planning its own public
awareness effort, says Dr. Christopher D. Saudek, president-elect
of the organization and professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine.
"It's too
early to talk about the specifics, but the goal will be to increase
awareness of the relationship between diabetes and the risk of
heart disease and stroke," Saudek says.
The ADA already
has anticipated the new recommendations on blood cholesterol levels,
released by a government panel last week, Saudek says. Those recommendations
lower the acceptable level of LDL cholesterol to 100. "That LDL
level of 100 is already in our book," he says.
Some doctors
plan to tell patients that diabetes is tantamount to heart disease.
"We want people
with diabetes to understand the importance of controlling cardiovascular
risk factors," Saudek says. "It's not enough to look at just blood
sugar. They should also look at cardiovascular risk factors like
blood cholesterol, blood pressure and smoking."
Information
about diabetes and its many complications are available from the
AHA , the
ADA and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases.
If you're
interested in clinical trials for diabetes, check
Veritas Medicine.
Reference
Source 101
For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick
Prevention Resources".
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