HHS officials urged health careproviders to get the message out thatdiabetes management is more thanlowering blood glucose: Control ofblood pressure and cholesterol is cru-cial to help prevent heart disease andstroke, the leading killers of peoplewith diabetes.

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

Targets Blood Glucose,Blood Pressure, Cholesterol