diabetes epidemic surging : new consumer campaign targets blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol

HHS officials urged health care providers to get the message out that diabetes management is more than lowering blood glucose: Control of blood pressure and cholesterol is cru- cial to help prevent heart disease and stroke, the leading killers of people with diabetes. New guidelines for blood pressure and LDL cholesterol in people with diabetes are lower than for the general population and similar to those for people with known heart disease. This new public awareness campaign comes in response to new studies that show a dramatic link between diabetes and heart disease. Research now shows that people with diabetes can live longer and healthier lives with rela- tively small decreases in blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol. “With 16 million people and counting, diabetes is growing at an alarming rate in America,” said HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. “Diabetes has increased 49 percent from 1990 to 2000 and projections indicate a 165 percent increase by the year 2050.” To communicate the importance of comprehensive care in simple lan- guage, the “ABC’s of diabetes” have been developed: • A stands for the “A1c” hemoglobin test, which measures average blood glucose (sugar) over the previous three months • B is for blood pressure • C is for cholesterol This approach was developed because the vast majority of people with diabetes don’t know that they’re at very high risk of cardiovascular disease and that this risk can be greatly reduced with appropriate treatment. Research shows that 75 percent of people with diabetes die from heart disease and stroke, and they die younger than the general population. Newly recommended HHS screen- ing targets include • A1c less than 7 percent; check at least twice a year • Blood pressure below 130/80 • LDL cholesterol below 100, checked annually HHS urged care providers to let patients know that the same steps needed to control blood glucose work for controlling blood pressure and cholesterol: • maintain at a healthy weight • follow a healthy diet • get daily physical activity • don’t smoke • take prescribed medications A new brochure for people with diabetes that provides essential infor- mation and has a wallet card to help track “ABC” numbers is now avail- able at (800) 438-5383 or at www.diabetes.org/makethelink. Diabetes 100 AWHONN Lifelines Volume 6, Issue 2 A new emphasis on treating diabetes comprehensively— that is, managing not only blood glucose but also blood pressure and cholesterol—could save lives, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA). NDEP is cosponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kid- ney Diseases (NIDDK) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Surging Epidemic New Consumer Campaign Targets Blood Glucose, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol

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Page 1: Diabetes Epidemic Surging : New Consumer Campaign Targets Blood Glucose, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol

New guidelines for blood pressureand LDL cholesterol in people withdiabetes are lower than for the gener-al population and similar to those forpeople with known heart disease. Thisnew public awareness campaign comesin response to new studies that showa dramatic link between diabetes andheart disease. Research now showsthat people with diabetes can livelonger and healthier lives with rela-tively small decreases in blood glu-cose, blood pressure and cholesterol.

“With 16 million people andcounting, diabetes is growing at analarming rate in America,” said HHSSecretary Tommy G. Thompson.

“Diabetes has increased 49 percentfrom 1990 to 2000 and projectionsindicate a 165 percent increase by theyear 2050.”

To communicate the importance ofcomprehensive care in simple lan-guage, the “ABC’s of diabetes” havebeen developed:

• A stands for the “A1c” hemoglobintest, which measures average bloodglucose (sugar) over the previousthree months

• B is for blood pressure• C is for cholesterol

This approach was developed becausethe vast majority of people with dia-betes don’t know that they’re at veryhigh risk of cardiovascular diseaseand that this risk can be greatlyreduced with appropriate treatment.Research shows that 75 percent ofpeople with diabetes die from heartdisease and stroke, and they dieyounger than the general population.

Newly recommended HHS screen-ing targets include

• A1c less than 7 percent; check atleast twice a year

• Blood pressure below 130/80• LDL cholesterol below 100,

checked annually

HHS urged care providers to letpatients know that the same stepsneeded to control blood glucose workfor controlling blood pressure andcholesterol:

• maintain at a healthy weight• follow a healthy diet• get daily physical activity• don’t smoke• take prescribed medications

A new brochure for people withdiabetes that provides essential infor-mation and has a wallet card to helptrack “ABC” numbers is now avail-able at (800) 438-5383 or atwww.diabetes.org/makethelink.

Diabetes

100 AWHONN Lifelines Volume 6, Issue 2

Anew emphasis on treating diabetes comprehensively—

that is, managing not only blood glucose but also blood

pressure and cholesterol—could save lives, according to the

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the

National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) and the

American Diabetes Association (ADA). NDEP is cosponsored

by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kid-

ney Diseases (NIDDK) and the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC).

SurgingEpidemicNew Consumer Campaign