Making the Diabetes Heart Connection: Awareness, Collaboration Needed to Improve Health

IntroductionDiabetes affects 29 million --one in eleven-- people in the U.S. and at least doubles their risk of heart failure, heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular complications. Less than half of them, however, are aware that they are at a much higher risk for cardiovascular disease complications. Lack of awareness prevents people with diabetes, their families, and their health care providers from addressing risks and improving health. Preventable deaths are tragic evidence of the missed opportunities to improve the overall health of people living with diabetes. A national awareness effort is an important public statement of the problem and commitment to addressing it.Connecting Diabetes and Cardiovascular DiseaseDiabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are present in the United States at epidemic proportions. Diabetes affects 29.1 million people in the U.S., including 8.1 million people who are undiagnosed.1 Another 86 million more -- one in three adults -- have prediabetes and 15-30 percent will develop diabetes within five years without change.2 The CDC estimates that currently one in three people in the U.S. will develop diabetes in their lifetime.3