Because individuals with type 2 diabetes face a far greater risk than they may realize for heart disease — according to the latest national survey — educational factions have responded by stepping up nationwide public awareness campaigns.
The “For Your SweetHeart” survey canvassed over 1,500 adults, 501 of whom have type 2 diabetes, in late October. Results indicated that 75 percent of Americans, and 67 percent of type 2 diabetics, are unaware that heart disease is the primary health condition responsible for type 2 diabetics’ deaths.
One such promotion involves collaboration between German pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim and the Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Company, whose principals are launching For Your SweetHeart: Where diabetes and heart disease meet.
It is their intention to inform type 2 diabetes patients about cardiovascular vulnerability and to encourage patients to dialog with their practitioners.
“People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people without diabetes,” Mike Mason, U.S. vice president at Lilly Diabetes, said.
To raise public awareness a notch higher, the two pharmaceutical firms approached a well-known physician who regularly appears on television, Dr. Travis Stork, to become a spokesperson. Together, the team urges people with type 2 diabetes and their “sweethearts” to learn more about the links between diabetes and heart disease — taking positive steps to preserve their health for themselves and their loved ones.
“In the emergency room, I regularly see people with type 2 diabetes experiencing life-threatening events like heart attacks or strokes,” Stork said. “Few know they are more likely to experience these kinds of complications simply because they have diabetes. I’ve joined the For Your SweetHeart campaign because awareness of heart disease risk is critical for people with type 2 diabetes and their loved ones, and taking action today may help save lives.”
