Award-winning actress Angela Bassett, along with 11 leading patient and professional organizations, is joining For Your SweetHeart: Where diabetes and heart disease meet — a nationwide movement to raise awareness of the critical link between type 2 diabetes and heart disease, the number one killer of people with type 2 diabetes.
Bassett, known for her portrayal of legendary singer Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It and role in American Horror Story, is spreading this important message in remembrance of her mom, who had type 2 diabetes and died of heart disease. Along with For Your SweetHeart sponsors Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company, Bassett is urging those with type 2 diabetes to know their risk of heart disease, for the sake of their health and the people they cherish the most.
“Losing my mom was a wake-up call to start talking about the risk of heart disease with my family members who also have type 2 diabetes, like my uncle Ralph,” said Bassett. “A lot of people don’t know that if you have type 2 diabetes you are at an increased risk for heart disease. For my mom, this knowledge came too late, and that’s why I joined For Your SweetHeart. I’ve had a heart-to-heart with my uncle about his risk and want to encourage those who have loved ones with type 2 diabetes to do the same, so they can understand their risk and talk to their doctor about taking action.”
Signing Up to Receive More Information Raises Money for Leading Patient Advocacy Organizations
Recognizing the importance of reducing the risk of heart disease among people with diabetes, 11 leading patient and professional organizations have joined Bassett in the For Your SweetHeart movement. By signing up at ForYourSweetHeart.com to receive more information about type 2 diabetes and heart disease, individuals will not only empower themselves but also help fund educational efforts. For every individual who signs up, Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly will donate $1 – up to $25,000 – to split equally among the participating patient advocacy organizations to support efforts for people living with diabetes and heart disease every day. Individuals will receive tips, resources and product information.
“Through the For Your SweetHeart donation, we encourage people to sign up to learn more about the risk of heart disease while also giving back to advocacy organizations that are on the frontlines of educating and supporting people with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, along with their loved ones,” said Jean-Michel Boers, president, Human Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “Nearly 30 million people are living with diabetes in the U.S., and many of them do not know they are at an increased risk of experiencing heart-related complications. It’s critical to have Angela Bassett and groups like these join our movement to reach the millions of Americans impacted by this public health crisis.”
For Your SweetHeart launched in November 2016 following a survey that found more than half (52 percent) of adults with type 2 diabetes do not understand they are at an increased risk for heart disease and related life-threatening events, like heart attack, stroke or even death. To bridge this knowledge gap and raise awareness about this link, the campaign encourages people to learn about their risk through the Heart You Quiz and other resources on ForYourSweetHeart.com and to talk to their healthcare providers.
“People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people without diabetes. Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim are committed to educating the public about this risk and encouraging people with type 2 diabetes to talk to their healthcare provider and take action,” said Mike Mason, vice president, U.S., Lilly Diabetes. “By joining For Your SweetHeart, Angela Bassett and 11 patient and professional groups are adding to the groundswell of support we’ve received from the diabetes community, who understands the importance of increasing awareness and education about the impact of heart disease on this population.”
About For Your SweetHeart: Where diabetes and heart disease meet
For Your SweetHeart is a nationwide movement to raise awareness of the link between type 2 diabetes and heart disease and to encourage people with type 2 diabetes to know their heart disease risk and speak to their healthcare provider, for the sake of their health and the people they cherish the most. Learn more about For Your SweetHeart, take and share the Heart You Quiz and sign up for more information at ForYourSweetHeart.com. Spread the word, because by having a heart, you might just save others.
For Your SweetHeart was developed and sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company. Elements of the campaign, including the Heart You Quiz, were reviewed and validated by a steering committee of leading cardiologists and endocrinologists and third-party groups.
Participating medical experts:
• Matthew Budoff, M.D., professor of medicine, UCLA, Endowed Chair of Preventive Cardiology, program director, Division of Cardiology, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute
• Ty J. Gluckman, M.D., FACC, FAHA, medical director, Clinical Transformation, Providence Heart and Vascular Institute, Portland, Oregon
• Jennifer Green, M.D., endocrinologist and associate professor of medicine, Duke University Division of Endocrinology and Duke Clinical Research Institute
• Leigh Perreault, M.D., associate professor of medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Affiliate Center for Global Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, associate professor of epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health
• Anne Peters, M.D., director, USC Clinical Diabetes Program, professor, Keck School of Medicine of USC
• Karol E. Watson, M.D., Ph.D., FACC, professor of medicine/cardiology, co-director, UCLA Program in Preventive Cardiology, director, UCLA Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Health Program
Participating patient and professional organizations:
• American Diabetes Association
• American Society for Preventive Cardiology
• Diabetes Hands Foundation
• DiabetesSisters
• The diaTribe Foundation
• Endocrine Society
• Healthy Women
• Hispanic Federation
• Mended Hearts
• Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
• WomenHeart
