Health Information Updates

NIDDK and NHLBI encourage you to ‘Take Diabetes to Heart’ during National Diabetes Month

by Katie Hamill

Did you know that adults with diabetes are more likely to develop heart disease and have a greater chance of a heart attack or stroke? More than 30 million people — nearly 10 percent of the U.S. population — have diabetes. If left undiagnosed or untreated, diabetes can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease.

This year, NIDDK partnered with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) this November during National Diabetes Month to remind people to “Take Diabetes to Heart.”

“Over time, high blood glucose from diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves that control healthy heart function,” said NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers. “But the good news is that you can take steps today to manage your diabetes and protect your heart for life.”

To amplify that message, Rodgers conducted radio interviews that aired throughout the country encouraging listeners to improve their health by working with their health care teams and to learn the ABCs of diabetes.

Rodgers also shared the National Diabetes Month 2019 Toolkit, created by NIDDK and NHLBI for health care professionals and the public. The kit is available in English, with some resources also available in Spanish.