Actress Angela Bassett joins For Your SweetHeart™ to urge people with diabetes to know their heart disease risk — in honor of her mom

Bassett encourages people with type 2 diabetes and their loved ones to take and share the Heart You Quiz to learn more about the No. 1 killer of people with this condition

For every person who signs up to receive more information at ForYourSweetHeart.com, $1 will be donated to leading patient advocacy organizations to further their missions of educating and empowering people with diabetes and heart disease

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. and INDIANAPOLIS, May 16, 2017 – 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 (NYSE: LLY), 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:

About Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
Approximately 29 million Americans and an estimated 415 million people worldwide have diabetes, and nearly 28 percent of Americans with diabetes—totaling eight million people—are undiagnosed. In the U.S., approximately 12 percent of those aged 20 and older have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type, accounting for an estimated 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed adult diabetes cases in the U.S. Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body does not properly produce or use the hormone insulin.

Due to the complications associated with diabetes, such as high blood sugar, high blood pressure and obesity, cardiovascular disease is a major complication and the leading cause of death associated with diabetes. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people without diabetes.  Approximately 50 percent of deaths in people with type 2 diabetes worldwide and approximately two-thirds of deaths in people with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. are caused by cardiovascular disease. In the U.S., healthcare costs for managing cardiovascular conditions in patients with diabetes totaled more than $23 billion in 2012.

Having diabetes can shorten a person’s lifespan by as much as six years compared with someone without diabetes.* And having both diabetes and a history of heart attack or stroke can shorten a person’s lifespan by as much as 12 years compared with someone without these conditions.**

* Based on having a history of diabetes at age 60.
** Based on having a history of diabetes and heart attack or stroke at age 60.

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company
In January 2011, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company announced an alliance in diabetes that centers on compounds representing several of the largest diabetes treatment classes. This alliance leverages the strengths of two of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. By joining forces, the companies demonstrate commitment in the care of patients with diabetes and stand together to focus on patient needs. Find out more about the alliance at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com or www.lilly.com.

About Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT, is the largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation.

Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, the company operates globally with approximately 50,000 employees. Since its founding in 1885, the company has remained family-owned and today creates value through innovation for three business areas including human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing.

Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to improving lives and providing valuable services and support to patients and their families.  Our employees create and engage in programs that strengthen our communities. Please visit our website to learn more about how we make more health for more people through our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.

In 2016, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about $17.6 billion (15.9 billion euros). R&D expenditure corresponds to 19.6 percent of its net sales.

For more information please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.us, or follow us on Twitter @BoehringerUS.

About Lilly Diabetes
Lilly has been a global leader in diabetes care since 1923, when we introduced the world's first commercial insulin. Today we are building upon this heritage by working to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes and those who care for them. Through research and collaboration, a wide range of therapies and a continued determination to provide real solutions—from medicines to support programs and more—we strive to make life better for all those affected by diabetes around the world. For more information, visit www.lillydiabetes.com.

About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com and www.lilly.com/newsroom/social-channels.

For Your SweetHeart™ is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim.

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Lilly Media Contact

Molly McCully
Communications Manager
Lilly Diabetes
Email: mccully_molly@lilly.com
Phone: (317) 478-5423