GETTING TO THE HEART OF DIABETES : JACKSON HEART STUDY TEAMS UP WITH DIABETES FOUNDATION TO FIGHT DIABETES & HEART DISEASE

Jackson – Over the years, Dr. Herman Taylor, principal investigator of the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), has seen many friends, relatives and patients live and wrestle with diabetes. As their friend and cardiologist, he has been there for them through the times of difficulty as well as the moments of triumph.

Because diabetes is often a key risk factor for heart disease and because having diabetes can seriously complicate the diagnosis and care of heart problems such as heart attacks, Taylor invests countless hours in educating the public about healthy diabetes management.

“Thanks to organizations like the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi (DFM) that fund research, care and education, the outlook for those with diabetes and those at risk for diabetes is improving,” Taylor said. ‘So, I am passionate about the mission of the DFM.”

This passion, in part, has led the Jackson Heart Study– the landmark study that examines the factors that influence the development of cardiovascular disease in African American men and women– to team up with the DFM in educating the public about diabetesand its implications on heart disease.

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in America, and for people with diabetes, symptoms of heart attacks can be silent, that is without symptoms or warning signs, he said.

“The good news is that with adoption of a healthy lifestyle and tight control of diabetes and the other risk factors– hypertension, smoking, cholesterol levels, body weight,– people with diabetes can do extremely well,” said Taylor, board of directors member for the DFM.

Managing diabetes is one of the most important things to do to reduce the morbidity of heart disease, he said. This management is very holistic in that it requires lifestyle changes, healthy dietary patterns and medications.

The seriousness of diabetes and the disease’s potential impact on cardiovascular well-being are something that Taylor takes to heart for more reasons than one, though.

“I am very worried about the wide differences in death rates between groups of Americans,” he said. “As Mississippians, we face much higher risk of death from heart disease than other Americans, and African Americans in Mississippi are much more likely to die from heart disease, which is often caused or complicated by diabetes.”

The JHS research indicates that only 40 percent of African Americans with diabetes have it under control, Taylor said.

The JHS is under a triad of institutional leadership provided by Jackson State University, Tougaloo College and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The population-based, longitudinal study, which is the first of its kind, takes a focused, concentrated look at the characteristics that lead to cardiovascular disease, specifically among African Americans.

'The Jackson Heart Study provides a platform for future studies,” Taylor said. “There’s a lot we don’t know, such as why diabetes and obesity are more prevalent in African Americans.”

Taylor’s passion for raising public awareness about the connection between diabetes and
cardiovascular disease is what led him to the DFM eight years ago.

“I am happy to serve in any capacity, and because diabetes is a major contributor to heart disease, the DFM was an organization doing the right thing at the right time, as they continue to do,” he said. “Helping Mississippians is our mutual passion.”

Taylor and the JHS will be participating in Mississippi’s Walk for Diabetes on Sunday, Oct. 21 in Jackson, which is sponsored by the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. The walk, which is a one-mile family fun walk or a 3.1/5k, will begin with registration at 1 p.m., with the walk immediately following. Walk with the JHS and the DFM and help alleviate diabetes and cardiovascular ailments by calling 1-877-DFM-CURE or visiting the Web site, www.msdiabetes.org.

The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi (DFM) is the state’s only nonprofit health organization that provides diabetes research, information, patient services and advocacy, and its mission is to provide hope through research, programs and service to the 346,500 Mississippians with diabetes. Every dollar raised by the DFM stays in the state to support these efforts. In addition, 90 cents of every dollar raised goes towards the organization’s charitable purposes. The DFM is the one diabetes organization totally dedicated to all Mississippians– from our children to our seniors– who live with diabetes.

“We are living in a state with a generation of kids who won’t live as long as their parents,” he said. “It’s time to be proactive to keep people off the catheterization table.”