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April 3, 2012 7:08 am ET

American Idol Judge Leads Campaign to “Get in Tune” with Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease

Merck (NYSE: MRK) (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada)
today announced that GRAMMY® Award-winning music producer and American
Idol judge Randy Jackson, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2003, is
using his personal experience to help others with type 2 diabetes
understand the serious complications, including heart disease. Jackson
is touring the country with Merck for the Taking Diabetes to Heart
program to help “set the stage” for people to commit to a
diabetes-friendly lifestyle. The program will provide resources and
information to help inspire people to take small steps to better health.

“When I was diagnosed with diabetes, my doctors told me that people with
type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke,”
says Jackson. “This was all I needed to know to take my diabetes to
heart. I made changes to my lifestyle and worked with my doctors to set
goals for my blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.”

Randy Jackson is now working on the Taking Diabetes to Heart
program to help people living with type 2 diabetes understand the
serious complications, including heart disease, a leading cause of death
among people with type 2 diabetes. In fact, adults with type 2 diabetes
are 2 to 4 times more likely to die from heart disease than adults
without diabetes. In addition, the risk of stroke is 2 to 4 times higher
in adults with diabetes compared to adults without diabetes.

Early and effective management of the ABCs of diabetes – A1C, or blood
sugar, Blood pressure and Cholesterol, is a critical part of an
effective treatment plan and can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

“As a physician, I know that managing diabetes and cardiovascular
disease go hand in hand since heart disease and stroke are complications
of diabetes,” says Helena W. Rodbard, M.D., FACP, MACE, past president
of the American College of Endocrinology (ACE), and past president of
the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE). “Lowering
cholesterol levels can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, so
it’s important for patients to talk to their doctors about setting goals
for their blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol and developing an
individualized treatment plan that is right for them.”

Randy Jackson is encouraging people with type 2 diabetes to visit www.TakingDiabetestoHeart.com
to learn about ways that patients can help take their diabetes to heart
and pledge to better manage their diabetes. Those with type 2 diabetes
who make the pledge will have access to Jackson’s personal tips and
example questions to ask their doctors about ways to help manage
diabetes and reduce the risk of heart disease.

“Merck is committed to raising awareness of type 2 diabetes and
advancing patients’ understanding about how to help better manage the
disease,” said Mark Timney, president, Global Human Health – U.S.
Market, Merck. “We’re thrilled to team up with Randy Jackson to help
shed light on the connection between diabetes and heart disease.”

For more information about Randy Jackson’s story, the Taking Diabetes
to Heart program, and to make a pledge to take your diabetes to
heart, visit www.TakingDiabetestoHeart.com.

About Randy Jackson

Randy Jackson is a GRAMMY® Award-winning music producer who has
recorded, produced, and toured with many well-known artists during his
more than 20-year career in the music industry. He is most well-known
for his current role as a judge on the television show American Idol.
Now 55 years old, Randy Jackson is discussing how he manages his type 2
diabetes as part of the Taking Diabetes to Heart program to help
others with the condition take control of their blood sugar, blood
pressure, and cholesterol.

About Taking Diabetes to Heart

Taking Diabetes to Heart is an educational program developed by
Merck to help people living with type 2 diabetes understand their
diabetes and the serious complications, including heart disease or
stroke. The program aims to empower adults with type 2 diabetes to take
their diabetes to heart by managing their blood sugar, blood pressure,
and cholesterol to help lower their risk for heart disease. For more
information on Taking Diabetes to Heart, as well as tips on
living a diabetes-friendly lifestyle, visit www.TakingDiabetestoHeart.com.

About Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease

When you have type 2 diabetes, it is important to lower the level of
sugar in your body. In type 2 diabetes, the body does not make enough
insulin, or the insulin that the body makes does not work properly. This
can cause blood sugar levels to become too high. The body may also keep
making sugar even though it does not need it. Once a person has type 2
diabetes, it does not go away.

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is one of the
fastest-growing health care problems in the country. Nearly 26 million
people in the United States (8.3 percent of the population) have
diabetes, and 90 to 95 percent of these cases are type 2 diabetes. It is
estimated that one in three Americans born in 2000 will develop diabetes
sometime during their lifetime.

Diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as heart disease and
stroke. People with type 2 diabetes can lower their risk of serious
complications by managing their blood sugar, blood pressure, and
cholesterol levels.

Early and effective management of blood sugar, blood pressure, and
cholesterol, is a critical component of a treatment plan for managing
type 2 diabetes. Diabetes guidelines underscore the importance of
managing cholesterol to help reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke,
and recommend cholesterol-lowering treatments should be added to
lifestyle therapy for appropriate type 2 diabetes patients.

People with type 2 diabetes should talk to their doctor about the blood
sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol goals that are appropriate for
them.

About Merck

Today’s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be
well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada.
Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and
consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and
operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health
solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to
healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For
more information, visit www.merck.com
and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.