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ORLANDO – What most people with type 2 diabetes don’t know about their cardiovascular risk could get them killed.
A national online survey revealed a surprising lack of awareness among patients with type 2 diabetes and their loved ones regarding the well-established significantly increased risk of cardiovascular mortality associated with the disease.
The same low rate of awareness was present in the general population, as represented by the 1,004 controls who didn’t have type 2 diabetes or know anyone who did, Jonathan Pak, PharmD, reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology.
“We thought patient awareness would be higher, but some who I think understand this space better are surprised it’s even this high,” Dr. Pak said in an interview.
Putting aside the widespread lack of awareness of cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes, 52% of the patients with type 2 diabetes and a similar proportion of their loved ones were unaware that type 2 diabetes is associated with any increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other macrovascular events, noted Dr. Pak, director of metabolism at Boehringer Ingelheim in Ridgefield, Conn.
There was a strong whiff of denial in the patients’ attitudes. For example, only 24% of the group with type 2 diabetes rated themselves as “likely” to have an amputation in the future, yet they rated 42% of others with type 2 disease as likely to undergo amputation. The same attitude pertained to the prospect of having an acute MI: It’s the others who are at increased risk, not me.
Encouragingly though, more than 80% of the type 2 diabetes patients who hadn’t realized they were at increased cardiovascular risk indicated that if they truly are at increased risk, they would take preventive measures to reduce that risk, including dietary modification and a conversation with their healthcare provider. In addition, 80% said their motivation in doing so would be to improve their quality of life, and 73% cited a desire to live longer and spend more time with their family, Dr. Pak observed.
“The findings from this survey highlight a huge opportunity to educate and inform, and for patients and their loved ones to act on,” he said.
The For Your Sweetheart survey was supported by Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and the Company Diabetes Alliance.
SOURCE: Pak J. ACC 18.
ORLANDO – What most people with type 2 diabetes don’t know about their cardiovascular risk could get them killed.
A national online survey revealed a surprising lack of awareness among patients with type 2 diabetes and their loved ones regarding the well-established significantly increased risk of cardiovascular mortality associated with the disease.
The same low rate of awareness was present in the general population, as represented by the 1,004 controls who didn’t have type 2 diabetes or know anyone who did, Jonathan Pak, PharmD, reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology.
“We thought patient awareness would be higher, but some who I think understand this space better are surprised it’s even this high,” Dr. Pak said in an interview.
Putting aside the widespread lack of awareness of cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes, 52% of the patients with type 2 diabetes and a similar proportion of their loved ones were unaware that type 2 diabetes is associated with any increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other macrovascular events, noted Dr. Pak, director of metabolism at Boehringer Ingelheim in Ridgefield, Conn.
There was a strong whiff of denial in the patients’ attitudes. For example, only 24% of the group with type 2 diabetes rated themselves as “likely” to have an amputation in the future, yet they rated 42% of others with type 2 disease as likely to undergo amputation. The same attitude pertained to the prospect of having an acute MI: It’s the others who are at increased risk, not me.
Encouragingly though, more than 80% of the type 2 diabetes patients who hadn’t realized they were at increased cardiovascular risk indicated that if they truly are at increased risk, they would take preventive measures to reduce that risk, including dietary modification and a conversation with their healthcare provider. In addition, 80% said their motivation in doing so would be to improve their quality of life, and 73% cited a desire to live longer and spend more time with their family, Dr. Pak observed.
“The findings from this survey highlight a huge opportunity to educate and inform, and for patients and their loved ones to act on,” he said.
The For Your Sweetheart survey was supported by Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and the Company Diabetes Alliance.
SOURCE: Pak J. ACC 18.
ORLANDO – What most people with type 2 diabetes don’t know about their cardiovascular risk could get them killed.
A national online survey revealed a surprising lack of awareness among patients with type 2 diabetes and their loved ones regarding the well-established significantly increased risk of cardiovascular mortality associated with the disease.
The same low rate of awareness was present in the general population, as represented by the 1,004 controls who didn’t have type 2 diabetes or know anyone who did, Jonathan Pak, PharmD, reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology.
“We thought patient awareness would be higher, but some who I think understand this space better are surprised it’s even this high,” Dr. Pak said in an interview.
Putting aside the widespread lack of awareness of cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes, 52% of the patients with type 2 diabetes and a similar proportion of their loved ones were unaware that type 2 diabetes is associated with any increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other macrovascular events, noted Dr. Pak, director of metabolism at Boehringer Ingelheim in Ridgefield, Conn.
There was a strong whiff of denial in the patients’ attitudes. For example, only 24% of the group with type 2 diabetes rated themselves as “likely” to have an amputation in the future, yet they rated 42% of others with type 2 disease as likely to undergo amputation. The same attitude pertained to the prospect of having an acute MI: It’s the others who are at increased risk, not me.
Encouragingly though, more than 80% of the type 2 diabetes patients who hadn’t realized they were at increased cardiovascular risk indicated that if they truly are at increased risk, they would take preventive measures to reduce that risk, including dietary modification and a conversation with their healthcare provider. In addition, 80% said their motivation in doing so would be to improve their quality of life, and 73% cited a desire to live longer and spend more time with their family, Dr. Pak observed.
“The findings from this survey highlight a huge opportunity to educate and inform, and for patients and their loved ones to act on,” he said.
The For Your Sweetheart survey was supported by Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and the Company Diabetes Alliance.
SOURCE: Pak J. ACC 18.
REPORTING FROM ACC 2018
Key clinical point: What most people with type 2 diabetes don’t know about their cardiovascular risk could get them killed.
Major finding: More than half of patients with type 2 diabetes who participated in an online survey were unaware that their disease places them at increased cardiovascular risk.
Study details: This online, cross-sectional survey included 1,869 respondents.
Disclosures: The For Your Sweetheart survey was supported by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly. The presenter is a Boehringer Ingelheim employee.
Source: Pak J. ACC 18.