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DALLAS, December 9, 2002 - Today, the nearly 1.5 million Texans with diabetes are urged by Mayor Laura Miller to Take Diabetes to Heart!TM and learn more about their risk for heart disease - the leading cause of diabetes-related deaths. An estimated 7.1 percent of the state's population is affected by the disease. In addition, as the number one cause of death in the United States, cardiovascular disease was the most common cause of death in Texas in 1996, accounting for 55,800 deaths.
Actress Phylicia Rashad, best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," is spearheading the Take Diabetes to Heart!TM educational campaign because of her personal connection to diabetes and heart disease. Today, Ms. Rashad has a special message for the employees of American Airlines about the importance of long-term diabetes management. Mayor Laura Miller has declared December 9th, as Take Diabetes to Heart!TM Day to urge all people with diabetes in the state to take action to manage the disease.
"My father, who had diabetes, died of a heart attack. When I read his death certificate I learned that the root cause of the heart attack was diabetes. I had never made the association between heart disease and diabetes," said Ms. Rashad, a two-time Emmy Award nominee and People's Choice Award winner. "So few people with diabetes realize how strongly these diseases are linked, and the importance of working with their healthcare team to actively and effectively manage their type 2 diabetes."
Take Diabetes to Heart!TM, led by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) and the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) and sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, will seek to address the growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes affects an estimated 16 million Americans - approximately 6 percent of the population - and several million more remain undiagnosed. This chronic disease is also one of the most costly health problems in the U.S. In Texas alone, total costs of diabetes were $9.2 billion in 1997. This is due, in part, to its potentially serious complications, such as cardiovascular disease, blindness, limb amputation and kidney failure.
The Heart of Diabetes-Related Cardiovascular Disease
Heart disease is one of the most serious complications of type 2 diabetes, causing two out of three diabetes-related deaths. In fact, people with type 2 diabetes are two to four times more likely to suffer from heart disease or stroke than people without the disease. Research indicates that cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes may share a common link - insulin resistance. Insulin resistance occurs when the body does not respond properly to its own natural insulin, a substance critical for blood sugar to enter the body's cells and be converted into energy. Insulin resistance may be linked to heart disease because of its association with a group of risk factors that include increased blood clotting, high blood pressure and abnormal blood lipid profile ("bad" cholesterol vs. "good" cholesterol).
Insulin resistance affects African-Americans and Hispanic/Latino-Americans at higher rates than Caucasians, placing these populations at increased risk for type 2 diabetes and related complications.
Control Can Reduce the Risks
Tight blood sugar control is critical to reducing the risk of complications such as heart disease. The best indication of whether a person is effectively managing type 2 diabetes is the A1C test, which provides a "picture" of how well blood sugar has been controlled over a period of two to three months. Experts recommend target A1C levels of 6.5 percent to 7 percent. People with type 2 diabetes should take an A1C test at least twice a year, and those who are above target or undergoing a change in therapy should be tested at least every three months.
"People with diabetes need to understand the risk associated with uncontrolled A1C levels. For every one percent increase above the target A1C level, a patient's risk for developing heart disease increases significantly," said Dr. Jane Kadohiro, DrPH, APRN, CDE, and AADE president. "It is therefore crucial that people with type 2 diabetes manage the disease through proper meal planning, physical activity and, if necessary, medications, including those that target insulin resistance. We hope that the campaign's message will incite New York residents with diabetes to take action in the management of this disease."
As part of the Take Diabetes to Heart!TM campaign, people with diabetes in the New York area can receive information on diabetes management, as well as a free cookbook, entitled Diabetic Meals in 30 Minutes or Less! by calling 1-800-307-7113 or by visiting www.takediabetestoheart.com (while supplies last).
About The Sponsors
The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) is a multidisciplinary group of 10,000 members dedicated to promoting the role of the diabetes educator and improving the quality of diabetes education and care.
The Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. (ABC) is an inclusive organization and was founded in 1974 to bring special attention to the adverse impact of cardiovascular disease on African-Americans. Membership is open to all who are interested in assuring that African-American children know their grandparents and become great grandparents themselves.
GlaxoSmithKline, with US operations in Philadelphia and Research Triangle Park, N.C., is one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and health care companies, is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.
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Berndadette King
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