67% of patients surveyed don’t believe that type 2 diabetes is associated with increased cardiovascular diseases risk

The Saudi Scientific Diabetes Society has released findings of survey executed in collaboration with Ipsos, a global market research and a consulting firm, in an effort to highlight the current gap in type 2 diabetes management and cardiovascular disease risk implications across the Kingdom.
The survey, supported by Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, targeted diabetes patients in Saudi Arabia to understand their perceptions, motivations and current disease management practices. It corresponds to a time marked by a continued rise in type 2 diabetes across the region, putting people at an increasing risk of developing CVDs. There were as many as 3,852,000 cases of diabetes in Saudi Arabia in 2017. The Kingdom has an 18.5% prevalence rate amongst the adult population, among the top ten countries of the world with highest prevalence of diabetes1.
More than 52% of patients with type 2 diabetes die of cardiovascular causes. Therefore, the epidemic of type 2 diabetes will be followed by an epidemic of diabetes-related CVDs. CVDs are also the number one cause of death globally, where more people die annually from CVDs than from any other cause. The survey with input from among 600 patients with diabetes in KSA has demonstrated a clear knowledge gap. The majority of respondents were males in 30- 40 year old age bracket suffering from type 2 diabetes and have visited a physician in the past 1-3 months. The survey unearthed considerably low awareness of type 2 diabetes and knowledge of the risk factors and after effects. The study also identified incorrect perceptions surrounding the disease, associated conditions and their management. Key findings include:
Half of those surveyed are unaware of high CV Risk- Up to half the total respondents are reported to be fully aware of the high CV risk associated with type 2 diabetes, despite more than half (55%) having discussed their condition with the treating physician to lower current risk. At the same time only 45% of patients believe they are at high risk of CV events, while 39% don’t associate heart disease to the condition.
Diabetes and Mortality- Only 33% only agree that CVD is the number one cause of death for type 2 diabetes patients. Patients do not fully understand the seriousness of CV risk associated with diabetes. 52% do not believe it causes death. When it comes to perceived seriousness of diabetes, patients do not see it as a serious disease. Stroke is the most serious disease according to respondents, followed by heart attacks and cancer. Diabetes is perceived to be the least serious disease. Although type 2 diabetic patients see that stroke, heart diseases and attacks are very serious, they rarely relate them to being a consequence of diabetes.
Knowledge gap despite public awareness campaigns- Just a third of the total respondents believe that they’re knowledgeable about type 2 diabetes. CVDs are yet to be identified as a health issue associated with diabetes. 52% of the patients perceive obesity to be more serious than type 2 diabetes confirming that increasing public awareness about a specific disease alters their perception.
Role of doctors- 45% of the respondents did not discuss cardiovascular diseases association with physicians. Most patients believe that type 2 diabetes is marked by high levels of blood sugar, followed by lack of insulin. The knowledge gap indicates the need for doctors to not just treat diabetes but also educate their patients on CV risk. Language used should reflect the seriousness of CV risk associated with type 2 diabetes to ensure that patients acknowledge and relate this risk to themselves.
Lifestyle choices and disease management- Only 24% of total respondents fully agree that their current lifestyle is healthy and only 7% of the respondents agreed that their current diet is healthy. However, 54% claim that they exercise. A controlled diet was identified as the management option most patients were aware of. Majority of patients suffer from associated symptoms like obesity and hypertension and do not necessarily have a balanced diet, thus do not perceive themselves as susceptible to Type 2 Diabetes.
Dr. Saud Al Sifri, Vice President of Saudi Scientific Diabetes Society said, “Type 2 diabetes is a serious epidemic, not just in Saudi Arabia, but around the world. Despite numerous efforts, awareness levels remain low around the knowledge gaps within type 2 diabetes management and cardiovascular disease risk implications. The risks vary amongst individuals, therefore, it is crucial to leverage the physician patient relationship. Patients with type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of developing heart disease and stroke.”
“When patients have both hypertension and diabetes, which is a common combination, the risk for CVDs doubles. It is important to assess one’s risk profile through regular checkups and have open conversations with their doctors. Given the importance and relationship between CVD and diabetes, there are new classes for type 2 diabetes treatment that showed significant improvement in cardiovascular death in their cardiovascular outcome trials, these classes are now more preferable for treatment than older classes for type 2 diabetes patients with established cardiovascular disease. Addressing the issue Kingdom-wide is key to control the widespread of diabetes amongst the Saudi population. It can be brought under control through the joint efforts and close collaboration of all the entities across the healthcare continuum,” added Dr. Saud Al Sifri,
In addition, Waleed Mashak, General Manager and Head of Human Pharma –at Boehringer Ingelheim in Saudi Arabia said, “A key survey finding suggests that in Saudi Arabia, stroke is the most serious disease, followed by heart attacks and cancer. Diabetes is perceived to be the least serious disease.  We believe that medical practitioners need to be encourages to not just treat or manage diabetes, but also educate patients on cardiovascular disease risks. The launch of the ‘Close to Your Heart’ campaign comes at an important time as part of our efforts to bridge the gap between type 2 diabetes and associated CV risks. Managing type 2 diabetes right at the outset can help deliver better patient outcomes. Despite advances in care, CVDs are still the number one cause of death among people with type 2 diabetes[1].[2]”
 Mashak also noted, “Boehringer Ingelheim has a robust legacy in providing comprehensive care and management protocols for people with type 2 diabetes. We continue to invest in research and development excellence, a broad and growing product portfolio and a continued determination to provide real solutions, to ultimately enhance the quality of life for all those affected by Type 2 diabetes.”
The relationship between diabetes and CV disease is complex; diabetes is a risk factor for CVDs and conditions such as high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease that are more common in people with diabetes. As part of the survey release, Boehringer Ingelheim launched its ‘Close To Your Heart’ disease awareness campaign with a focus on type 2 diabetes patients sharing their experience around the disease, and calling for the family to come together to prevent cardiovascular conditions from aggravating. It will include a knowledge library that curates information from both the medical community and patient stories. The permanent digital library will be live on a dedicated website, available at http://closetoyourheart.me/en, with supporting content including a digital 360 campaign that features an awareness video, infographics and several media activities.