Preventing cardiovascular disease and diabetes - A call to action from the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association

Both the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association remain jointly committed to a reduction in heart disease, stroke, and new-onset diabetes. We strongly recommend that all providers assess patients for their global risk for CVD and diabetes. Despite many unresolved scientific issues, a number of cardiometabolic risk factors have been clearly shown to be closely related to diabetes and CVD: fasting/postprandial hyperglycemia, overweight/obesity, elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and dyslipidemia. Although pharmacologic therapy is often indicated when overt disease is detected, in the early stages of these conditions, lifestyle modification with attention to weight loss and physical activity may well be sufficient. It must be remembered that obesity is far more than an unattractive appearance but can be prevented. Moreover, it is often a visible marker of other underlying risk factors that can be addressed. Thus, the overweight or obese patient deserves major clinical attention. The growing prevalence of this condition threatens to undermine all of our recent gains to prevent and control chronic disease. © 2006 by the American Diabetes Association, Inc., and the American Heart Association, Inc.