Survey: Diabetics Mostly Fear Blindness, Amputation
Many People Questioned Didn't Understand Other Risks
Diabetes suffers are mostly afraid of losing their sight or losing a limb, according to a new study.
The national State-of-the-Heart-in-Diabetes survey, which questioned older Americans living with the disease, found that people with diabetes are four times as afraid of losing their sight and twice as afraid of losing a limb than of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
Of the 16 million Americans living with diabetes today, three-fourths will develop cardiovascular disease. Every year, nearly 77,000 people with diabetes die from heart disease. Conversely, up to 24,000 people with diabetes will suffer complete vision loss and 56,200 will suffer the loss of a foot or leg each year.
"I've always been more frightened by the risk of blindness associated with diabetes because I was afraid that losing my sight would mean losing my livelihood and my ability to participate fully in daily activities," said Leonard H. Campbell, who has had diabetes for the past 10 years.
"It's startling to realize that my quality of life can be equally shattered if I suffer a heart attack or stroke. Knowing now how high my risk is of having one of these events is prompting me to take greater steps to protect myself," Campbell said.
"This survey is a wake-up call for the public and physicians. They need to understand the profound link between diabetes and heart attack and stroke, and recognize that these consequences of diabetes are far more likely to lead to disability and death than other diabetic complications," said Dr. Alan Garber, the study's author and a professor at Baylor College of Medicine and Chief of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at The Methodist Hospital in Houston.
"More than that, we need to give people with diabetes the tools to help reduce the risk of these cardiovascular events to ensure that they can continue to enjoy vibrant and productive lives without the burden of disability," Garber said.
The survey also revealed that almost two-thirds of older Americans with diabetes believed they could be doing more to further reduce their risk for a stroke or heart attack, although 34 percent felt there was nothing more they could do.
Those motivated to do more desired to lead a full and vital life and wanted to minimize the potential burden to their families of caring for someone with a disability.
"My mother died from complications of diabetes. She, like so many people surveyed, was determined to live life to the fullest and not become a burden to her family as a result of the disease," said Gladys Knight, a singer and diabetes awareness advocate.
"Because of her experience, I'm determined to help people with diabetes know more and do more to prevent the devastating disability of cardiovascular complications of diabetes," Knight said, who joined a new patient education program -- Know More, Do More -- to urge Americans living with diabetes to reduce their risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
"In addition to strict management of blood-sugar levels, there are more ways to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke that should be made well-known and available to people with diabetes," Garber said. He added that medications can often reduce the risk.
The survey and the consumer education program were developed through an educational grant from Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories and Monarch Pharmaceuticals Inc.
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