It’s Time To Take Diabetes To Heart (NAPSA)—A new health campaign called Take Diabetes to Heart! is helping to raise awareness of the link between twoserious diseases that affect Americans: diabetes and heart disease. Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, affects an estimated 16 million Americans—many of whom are unaware they have the disease. In type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it already makes—a condition called “insulin resistance.” The majority of people with type 2 diabetes are insulin resistant. Diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as heart disease and stroke. In fact, people with type 2 diabetes are two to four times morelikely to suffer from heart disease and stroke. In many cases, heart disease is more severe in people with type 2 diabetes. What’s more, heart dis- ease—the number one cause of death in the United States—is also the leading cause of diabetesrelated deaths. Actress Phylicia Rashad, who has a family history of diabetes and heart disease, is serving as spokesperson for the Take Diabetes to Heart! campaign. “My father, who had diabetes, died of a heart attack,” said Rashad, whois per- haps most well known for her role as Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show. “When I read his death certificate, I learned that the root cause of the heart attack was diabetes. I had never made this association between heart disease and diabetes. 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.” With education and proper treatment when necessary, diabetes can be managed over the long term, helping to reduce the risk for complications, such as heart disease. The Take Diabetes to Heart! campaign offers these tips: Actress Phylicia Rashad, twotime Emmy Award nominee and People’s Choice Award winner, is a spokesperson for the Take Diabetes to Heart! campaign. * Have a “heart-to-heart” with your healthcare professional. Work with your healthcare team to create a diabetes management plan that will work for you. This plan should include proper meal planning, regular physical activity and, if necessary, medications. Ask your healthcare professional about regular A1C testing. An AIC test is a simple blood test that measures how well your blood sugar has been controlled over a period of two to three months. High A1C levels may indicate a greater risk for complications. Regularly monitor your blood pressure and lipids, including total cholesterol, HDL or “good” cholesterol, LDL or “bad” cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. To learn more, visit www.take diabetestoheart.com. Log on to receive a free cookbook, Diabetic Meals In 30 Minutes or Less, which features more than 140 recipes for quick, great-tasting meals and provides important information about type 2 diabetes and its link to heart disease (while supplies last). The Take Diabetes to Heart! campaign is jointly sponsored by the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the Association of Black Cardiologists, and GlaxoSmithKline.
