MMWR

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

(Box) National Diabetes Awareness Month — November 2007

CDC
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office of Communications
(770)488-5131

No Summary Available

Trends in Prevalence of Self-Reported Cardiovascular Disease Among Adults with Diabetes Aged >35 Years — United States, 1997–2005

PRESS CONTACT: CDC
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office of Communications
(770) 488-5131

• Press Release
  Cardiovascular Disease Decreasing Among Adults with Diabetes

Having diabetes means you are more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke—but it doesn’t have to—if you manage your diabetes. People with diabetes need to be ‘smart about their heart’ and control the ABCs of diabetes—A1c for managing blood sugar, B for blood pressure, and C for cholesterol. If you have diabetes, talk to your doctor and get checked. During 1997–2005, the proportion of adults age 35 and over with diabetes who reported having cardiovascular disease decreased by 11 percent. Particularly encouraging decreases were seen among blacks, with a decline in prevalence of 25 percent, and among persons with diabetes aged 35–64, with a decrease of 14 percent. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects millions of adults with diabetes and is a major cause of death and disability in this population. The findings in this report indicate some favorable trends in prevalence rates of self-reported CVD among people with diagnosed diabetes aged 35 years or older.

Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose Among Adults with Diabetes — United States, 1997–2006

PRESS CONTACT: CDC
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office of Communications
(770) 488-5131

• Press Release
  Cardiovascular Disease Decreasing Among Adults with Diabetes

Access to health care and diabetes education are associated with self-monitoring of blood glucose. Persons with diabetes should get more intensive medical and self-management care. Self-monitoring of blood glucose helps people with type 1 diabetes and insulin-treated type 2 diabetes improve their blood sugar control. During 2006, 63.4 percent of adults with diabetes checked their blood sugar at least once a day, exceeding the 61 percent target for the national objective.From 1997 to 2006, self-monitoring rates increased overall, in all the age groups examined, and in two-third of the states examined. Lower rates of self-monitoring were correlated with being male, having lower education, no health insurance coverage, less intensive therapy, and fewer doctor visits; and not having taken a diabetes education course.

State-Specific Unintentional Injury Deaths — United States, 1999–2004

PRESS CONTACT: CDC
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
(770) 488-4902

While some states have made significant progress in reducing unintentional injuries, additional efforts are needed to assist the majority of states in reducing the number of deaths attributed to unintentional injuries. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among people ages 1 to 44 years old and the leading cause of years of potential life lost before age 65 years. From 1999 to 2004, the rate of unintentional injury deaths in the U.S. has increased by 7% largely due to increases in rates in unintentional poisonings and falls. CDC recently examined the progress of states in their efforts to meet the Healthy People 2010 national objectives to reduce injuries. The study found that 13 states had reduced their unintentional injury death rates; however 30 states recorded unintentional injury death rates in excess of the national average. These findings underscore the need for states to continue efforts to develop, implement, and evaluate injury prevention programs and policies to reduce the number of deaths from unintentional injuries.

####

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES