Make the Link! for Health Professionals

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Through our initiative, "Make the Link! Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke," we are urging health care providers to talk to their patients about the link between diabetes, heart disease and stroke. A recent Make the Link! survey shows that 68% of people with diabetes do not consider cardiovascular disease to be a serious complication of diabetes. Furthermore, 60% of people with diabetes surveyed do not feel at risk for either high blood pressure or cholesterol problems.

Studies have shown that up to 60% of adults with diabetes have high blood pressure and nearly all have one or more lipid abnormalities, such as increased triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, or elevated LDL cholesterol. While the management of blood sugar has always been and remains a cornerstone of diabetes care, diabetes requires a comprehensive program that includes management of blood glucose, management of blood pressure and management of cholesterol. We call these key components of care the ABCs of diabetes: A standing for A1C, B is for blood pressure, and C is for cholesterol.

Help your patients make the link by talking to them about managing the ABCs of Diabetes, and other ways to reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke.  This section contains resources specifically for the health care team.

Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease Review

Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease Review is an American Diabetes Association/American College of Cardiology newsletter featuring information on treatment guidelines, research advances, and patient education tools. (all files require Adobe Acrobat Reader)

• Issue 1: Redefining Diabetes Control
• Issue 2: Hypertension in Diabetes
• Issue 3: Diabetic Dyslipidemia
• Issue 4: Nutrition, Diabetes and CVD
• Issue 5: Coronary Heart Disease in Women with Diabetes
• Issue 6: Peripheral Arterial Disease in Diabetes
• Issue 7: Promoting Weight Loss in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Importance and Strategies
• Issue 8: Prescribing Physical Activity for the Management of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes

Resources

NEW!! Diabetes Animations for Use in Presentations

These clips, available for download as WMV files, have been adapted from the Association's Link for Life animation on diabetes. These files can be incorporated into presentations for community groups, diabetes support groups and other educational activities.

1. Diabetes
   Provides brief definition of diabetes and insulin. (18 seconds)




2. Insulin: The Movie
   Describes how the body breaks food into sugar and uses sugar as a source of energy. (51 seconds)




3. Type 1 Diabetes
   Provides a basic definition of type 1 diabetes. (27 seconds)




4. Type 2 Diabetes
   Provides a basic definition of type 2 diabetes. (26 seconds)




5. What happens in Type 2 Diabetes?
   Further defines type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. (71 seconds)

Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Toolkit
This toolkit contains reproducible patient education handouts to use in your practice.

ABCs of Diabetes PowerPoint Slide Set
This brief slide set can be used in support groups or other patient programs to discuss the ABCs of diabetes and the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

"Managing Diabetes and Its Comorbidities" Webcast Series
See three archived presentations that are CME/CE accredited for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. This series of online presentations is focused on preventing cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes.

Clinical Practice Recommendations
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has been actively involved in the development and dissemination of diabetes care standards, guidelines, and related documents for many years. These statements contain all current ADA position statements related to clinical practice.

ADA's Bookstore
Visit ADA's bookstore to find books related to Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke.

Meetings

To view all upcoming ADA meetings, please visit our professional education and meetings page.

Tools for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Take Care of Your Heart. Manage Your Diabetes: Blood Glucose, Blood Pressure, and Cholesterol. This patient education flier tells people with diabetes about the link between diabetes and heart disease and encourages them to manage their blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Each flier has a record form to enable people with diabetes to keep track of their numbers and work with their health care providers to reach their target goals. The flier is printer-ready for black or color printers. (all files require Adobe Acrobat Reader)

• English version
• Cambodian version
• Chinese version
• Hmong version
• Korean version
• Tagalog version
• Thai version
• Vietnamese version