Doctors from the Cleveland Clinic spoke about cardiovascular disease at The Breakers during a breakfast symposium for ...

Despite progress against heart disease, cardiologists with the Cleveland Clinic are concerned that skyrocketing diabetes rates will darken the picture.

In recent years, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs have helped millions prevent the progression of heart disease and live longer, according to Dr. Brian Griffin, director of fellowship training for the clinic's department of cardiovascular medicine.

But diabetes threatens to spoil the party.

Calorie-rich diets are only partly to blame for the growing trend toward obesity and diabetes in America, he said.

"A lot of it has to do with inactivity, particularly in the adolescents," Griffin said Wednesday at The Breakers during a breakfast symposium for sponsors of the American Heart Association's Heart Ball.