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Leaders Call for Vital Changes to Stem Growing Public Health Epidemic of Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

Posted on: Wednesday, 20 December 2006, 12:00 CST

BOSTON, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Reducing Cardiometabolic Risk: What Are The Barriers?" a roundtable debate featuring the chairpersons of the 2006 Cardiometabolic Health Congress (CHC), identified the combined impact of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease as the biggest health problem facing the world today. Early intervention/prevention, reimbursement and societal changes are cited as critical for making significant progress.

Cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors are associated with four of the top 10 leading causes of death -- heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. CMR is comprised of a set of risk factors that viewed together, are good indicators of a person's overall risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes. These include: obesity, high LDL ("bad") cholesterol, high blood fat (triglycerides), low HDL ("good") cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and physical inactivity.

The full discussion, which includes their proposed changes to improve outcomes, is now available in audio and written transcript at http://www.cardiometabolichealth.org/.

The CHC chairpersons are: * Jay S. Skyler, MD, MACP, Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Skyler is an expert in diabetes research and a key opinion leader in the field of endocrinology * Christie M. Ballantyne, MD, Professor of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Ballantyne is a cardiologist and conducts research on prevention and identifying risk factors for coronary heart disease * Richard W. Nesto, MD, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Nesto is an interventional cardiologist and clinical researcher on diabetes, insulin resistance and coronary disease

Key points raised by Congress Chairpersons drove the debate towards the following themes:

"Obesity has been adopted as a risk factor yet relatively few practitioners look at obesity as something that needs an intervention. As a society we need to change the mindset that weight loss should be cosmetically driven, not medically driven."

"Overweight and obesity are on the rise thereby increasing the incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease at an alarming rate. We must adapt early intervention strategies to treat all critical risk factors."

"Getting diabetes when you're 20 is a new phenomenon ... people in their 40s are going to end up with cardiovascular, kidney and eye disease and the

cost to society is going to be extraordinary. We should no longer wait until end-stage disease to make an impact."

"Even when we go to put the lifestyle systems in place, we don't get the reimbursement to support or sustain them."

To download the audio file of this roundtable or view the complete written transcript, please visit cardiometabolichealth.org. For interview requests, please contact GinaMarie Mangiaracina / Chandler Chicco Agency / 202-609-6003 or gmangiaracina@ccapr.com.

Cardiometabolic Health Congress

CONTACT: GinaMarie Mangiaracina of Chandler Chicco Agency,+1-202-609-6003 or gmangiaracina@ccapr.com, for the Cardiometabolic HealthCongress

Web site: http://www.cardiometabolichealth.org/

Source: PRNewswire-USNewswire

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