Heart disease affects 2 in 3 people with type 2

Heart disease contributes to almost two in three deaths of people with type 2 diabetes and is a major contributor to shortening the life expectancy for both men and women (8.2 years for men and 9.1 years for women), yet according to a national survey by Diabetes Australia only 12 per cent of people with type 2 diabetes think they are at risk of the disease.

The survey also found 59 per cent of people with type 2 diabetes didn’t know heart disease was the number one cause of death for people with type 2 diabetes and only 6 per cent thought they were at personal risk of having a heart attack.

The worrying findings have prompted Diabetes Australia to launch a new awareness campaign, Take Diabetes 2 Heart.

Heart disease is one of the most common complications that people with diabetes develop, however most people don’t know this and underestimate their risk. But according to the Diabetes Australia survey the good news is that 99 per cent of people said would act to reduce their risk, if they were aware of it.

Lifestyle changes, including healthy eating and getting more physical activity, can significantly reduce someone’s risk of developing heart disease.  So its important for people living with type 2 diabetes to talk to their GP about what they can do.  There is also information and resources available on the Take Diabetes 2 Heart website including real life stories of people with type 2 diabetes and the people who love them – including our very own Ambassador Yvonne Appleby and her friend Faye.

See how your community stacks up.

The table below provides an Australia-wide analysis on prevalence of type 2 diabetes and heart disease and reveals the number of people expected to die from heart disease.