Low Awareness of Diabetes as a Major Risk Factor for CVD in Middle- and High-Income Countries
abstract
This abstract is available on the publisher's site.
Access this abstract nowOBJECTIVE
Awareness of diabetes as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) may enhance uptake of screening for diabetes and primary prevention of CVD.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
The American Heart Association conducted an online survey in 50 countries. The main outcome of this study was the proportion of individuals in each country who recognized diabetes as a CVD risk factor. We also examined variation by sex, age, geographic region, and country-level economic development.
RESULTS
Among 48,988 respondents, 15,747 (32.1%) identified diabetes as a major CVD risk factor. Awareness was similar among men and women, but increased with age, and was greater in high-income than in middle-income countries.
CONCLUSIONS
Two-thirds of adults in surveyed countries did not recognize diabetes as a major CVD risk factor. Given the increasing global burden of diabetes and CVD, this finding underscores the need for concerted efforts to raise public health awareness.
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Additional Info
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Low Awareness of Diabetes as a Major Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease in Middle- and High-Income Countries
Diabetes Care 2024 Mar 01;47(3)379-383, RS Chaudhary, MB Turner, LS Mehta, NM Al-Roub, SC Smith, DS KaziFrom MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
We were surprised to read the findings of this paper — that, despite a slew of research underscoring the strong link between diabetes and CVD, this concept is still not widely grasped by the general population. I recall seeing papers suggesting the same thing some 15 years ago! We need to do a better job describing the connection to our patients and also employ evidence-based risk-mitigation strategies, especially for those at a high risk of CV events. These include encouragement for lifestyle changes, good blood pressure control, aggressive lipid management, and choosing the right glucose-lowering medication for each individual patient.