Many adults with diabetes are not aware of the increased risk of certain serious illnesses, according to a recent poll sponsored by Merck and conducted by Harris Poll.
The poll surveyed 1,003 U.S. adults age 18 and older from across the country who have been diagnosed with diabetes. The survey found that they were twice as likely to recognize the possibility of developing kidney disease and heart disease than infectious diseases such as pneumococcal disease, including pneumonia, meningitis or a blood infection compared to adults without diabetes.
Although published data show that adults with diabetes are approximately three times more likely to develop pneumococcal disease compared to healthy adults of the same age, only about one in three people who participated in the survey thought they were somewhat likely to suffer from pneumococcal pneumonia or pneumococcal disease.
“These data illustrate that patients with diabetes are not fully aware of their risk of other serious illnesses and that there is a critical communication gap between patients and their health care providers about the risks for serious illness, including pneumococcal pneumonia or pneumococcal disease, flu and hepatitis B for adults with diabetes," Dr. Robert E. Ratner, American Diabetes Association's immediate past chief scientific and medical officer, said in a press release.
