The National Cholesterol Education Program provides outreach to medical practitioners and the general public regarding the detection and treatment of high blood cholesterol and heart disease. As diabetes presents multiple risk factors for heart disease, the disease is prominently featured in NCEP program literature. A major treatment goal of diabetes is control your cholesterol, as your risk of dying with heart-related complications is higher than people who don't have diabetes. Consult your health care provider about a blood test to determine your cholesterol levels.
About the NCEP
The National Cholesterol Education Program is a service of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health. Founded in 1985, the purpose of the program is to provide educational resources to health professionals and the general public about high blood cholesterol, raise awareness about the dangers of high cholesterol and ultimately contribute to lowering the incidence of high cholesterol and heart disease. The program is informed by partner organizations that make up coordinating committees, which convene expert panels and develop guidelines for detecting, evaluating and treating high cholesterol. Because diabetes is intricately linked with blood cholesterol and is in and of itself a risk factor for heart disease, the American Diabetes Association has been at the forefront on the coordinating committee providing scientific input on the program's goals.
Diabetes in the United States
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. A disorder of metabolism, diabetes is a cluster of diseases affecting more than 25 million people. In addition, 79 more million Americans have blood sugar levels that were high enough in 2010 that could possibly lead to diabetes in the future, according to the National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2011. With diabetes, patients have a problem with too much blood sugar circulating throughout their bodies, as well as problems with the way the hormone insulin responds to the blood sugar. Left uncontrolled, blood sugar can ravage internal organs, leading to serious health complications, including blindness, amputations, kidney disease and heart disease.
Diabetes-Cholesterol Connection
High blood cholesterol and diabetes are both independent risk factors for coronary heart disease. When the conditions occur together --- and they often do --- your medical treatment becomes more aggressive to prevent you from dying, says the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Adults with diabetes die from heart disease and stroke at rates two to four times higher than people without diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preveniton. More than 65 percent of people who have diabetes die from heart-related complications or stroke. A major goal of diabetes management, then, is to control your cholesterol and other blood lipids and keep them in the safe range. The American Diabetes Association says many people with diabetes also have low "good" cholesterol, which can contribute to high amounts of "bad" cholesterol circulating in their system.
Know Your Numbers
A blood test by your health care provider can measure your blood cholesterol profile. The numbers will also help your doctor determine your treatment. Cholesterol treatment in diabetes aims to keep your bad cholesterol below 100 mg/dL. This number requires fairly intensive treatment, as diabetes status confers multiple risk factors for heart disease. Your doctor may prescribe drugs and recommend lifestyle interventions, such as changes to the composition of your diet and more physical activity.
References
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: National Cholesterol Education Program
- American Diabetes Association: All about Cholesterol
- American Diabetes Association: Cholesterol
- National Cholesterol Education Program; Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults; May 2001
- CDC: National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2011
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse; Diabetes Overview; November 2008
