WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JULY 6, 2017 15
HEALTH
Survey: Many adults with diabetes unaware of
their increased risk for certain serious illnesses
Today, nearly 30 million people in
the U.S. are living with diabetes,
and 90-95 percent have type 2
diabetes. According to the American
Diabetes Association, about 1.4 million
new cases of diabetes are diagnosed in
the U.S. every year. ,
Diabetes increases the risk for certain
serious illnesses including pneumococcal
pneumonia/pneumococcal
disease, fl u and hepatitis B. However,
many adults 18+ with diabetes were
unaware of their increased risk for
these illnesses, according to a recent
national, online consumer awareness
survey sponsored by the American
Diabetes Association and Merck. The
survey was conducted by Harris Poll
among approximately 1,000 U.S. adults
age 18+ who have ever been diagnosed
with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
While published data show that
adults with diabetes are approximately
three times more likely to develop
pneumococcal disease compared to
healthy adults of the same age, only
about 1 in 3 survey respondents who
have diabetes (35%) believed they were
at least somewhat personally likely to
get pneumococcal pneumonia/pneumococcal
disease. Survey respondents were
about twice as likely to recognize the potential
for adults with diabetes to develop
kidney disease (72%) and heart disease
(67%) than infectious diseases-such as
pneumococcal disease (36%)-compared
to adults without diabetes.
This lack of awareness is signifi -
cant-the survey also found that discussion
of these diseases was not oft en
enough initiated by HCPs (doctors or
pharmacists) or patients themselves
within the past year.
"These data illustrate that patients
with diabetes are not fully aware of
their risk of other serious illnesses,
and that there is a critical communication
gap between patients and their
health care providers about the risks
for serious illness, including pneumococcal
pneumonia or pneumococcal
disease, fl u and hepatitis B for adults
with diabetes. Because people with
diabetes have increased risks for
these diseases and more complicated
medical courses when they contract
them, health care providers should
seek to initiate discussions with patients
to bridge the information gap,
as recommended in our Standards
of Care," said the American Diabetes
Association's Immediate-Past Chief
Scientifi c & Medical Offi cer Robert E.
Ratner, MD.
Open communication with their
health care professionals can help
people living with diabetes learn
more about their risk for certain
serious illnesses. The American
Diabetes Association's Standards of
Care in Diabetes advises healthcare
professionals to talk with patients who
have diabetes about these illnesses.
For more information about pneumococcal
pneumonia, fl u or hepatitis B,
talk to your healthcare professionals,
and visit www.diabetesforecast.org/
knowyourrisk.
This information was provided
by Merck
This survey was conducted online
by Harris Poll, on behalf of Merck and
the American Diabetes Association,
from April 12-26, 2016, among 1,003 U.S.
adults age 18 and older who have ever
been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2
diabetes; not employed by a federal,
state, county or local government
agency/facility; does not personally
work/have a household member who
works in a competing industry; and is
not currently involved in a medical
clinical trial. Data were not weighted
and are only representative of those
who completed the survey.
Courtesy BPT
