Prevent Disease.com - Researchers Urge Action to Cut Diabetes Heart Risk



		Researchers Urge Action to Cut Diabetes Heart Risk LONDON (Reuters Health) - British researchers on Wednesday called on the government to take action to make sure people with diabetes are diagnosed more quickly to avoid the risk of heart disease and other complications. The call coincided with World Diabetes Day, with groups around the world highlighting the fact that diabetics face a four times greater risk of heart disease than the general population. ``People with diabetes are dying unnecessarily from heart disease. We know that good control of diabetes can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and other complications but unless people are diagnosed earlier and get better care we cannot make a difference,'' said Paul Streets, chief executive of the charity Diabetes UK. ``Too many people are being diagnosed too late. If the government and the National Health Service want to achieve their targets for reducing heart disease they must address diabetes sooner rather than later and in an effective way,'' he added. British doctors were dismayed last month when the government revealed that a national strategy for treating patients with diabetes would be delayed until April 2003, a year behind schedule. A report by a government watchdog published last year suggested that diabetic patients were receiving substandard medical care on the country's National Health Service. About 70% of people with type 2 diabetes will die of heart disease, Dr. Melanie Davies, a diabetes specialist from the University Hospitals of Leicester, told Reuters Health. Even people with slightly raised blood sugar levels, who may have no symptoms of the disease, are at double the normal risk for heart disease, she said. ``We've got to get people before they even get diabetes,'' she said. ``Many people are walking around without symptoms. For people with risk factors like family history of the disease, who are overweight or have heart disease, it is worth thinking about getting yourself checked at an early stage.'' The International Diabetes Federation (IDF), which organized World Diabetes Day, says that 150 million people around the world have diabetes, and this number is predicted to double over the next 25 years. ``There is a need to address the risk factors which lie behind both diabetes and cardiovascular disease,'' said Professor Sir George Alberti, president of the IDF. ``Change in lifestyle is one of these major factors.'' Experts say a balanced diet, physical exercise and not smoking can help reduce risk of developing heart disease. Reference Source 89 For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".