Diabetes is a major public health concern that can affect anyone, regardless of There is no cure for diabetes, but it can be managed with medication and …
Diabetes: National Article [TEMPLATE]
Title: Facing the Reality About Diabetes
Diabetes is a major public health concern that can affect anyone,
regardless of age, race or socio-economic status There is no cure for
diabetes, but it can be managed with medication and lifestyle
modifications If left undiagnosed or untreated, the complications of
diabetes can lead to heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, or
premature death
The incidence of diabetes is growing each year Currently, there are 236
million children and adults in the United States, or 78 percent of the
population, who have diabetes While an estimated 179 million have been
diagnosed with diabetes, 57 million people are unaware that they have the
disease because they have not received a screening test to detect
diabetes1
There are an additional 57 million people in the United States who have
pre-diabetes, a condition that occurs before people develop type 2
diabetes, in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high
enough to be diagnosed as diabetes Many people may be unaware that they
have pre-diabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes People
with pre-diabetes may be able to
prevent the development of type 2 diabetes
by making dietary changes and increasing their physical activity level,
thereby reducing the potential for long-term damage to the body2
As the number of people with diabetes increases each year, so does the
economic impact of the disease In 2007, it is estimated that the total
cost direct and indirect was 174 billion3 One out of every five
healthcare dollars is spent on people living with diabetes, while one in 10
healthcare dollars is attributed to diabetes On average, people with
diabetes have approximately 23 times higher medical costs than those
without diabetes3
In 2007, diabetes resulted in:3
15 million work days absent
120 million work days with reduced performance
445,000 people on permanent disability
284,000 deaths
[If customizing article, insert additional text here]
The physical and economic implications of diabetes in the United States are
staggering and increasing each year The direct and indirect costs and the
growing number of people at risk for and developing diabetes calls for
health practitioners, advocates, and policy makers to work together to
develop solutions to address the main causes of
diabetes that include
physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and missed or inadequate
opportunities for early healthcare intervention Together, we can decrease
the percentage of people with diabetes and help improve the health of
people who live with the disease
REFERENCES:
1 American Diabetes Association: The Dangerous Toll of Diabetes
Available at: http://wwwdiabetesorg/diabetes-statistics/dangerous-
tolljsp
2 American Diabetes Association: Pre-Diabetes Available at:
http://wwwdiabetesorg/pre-diabetesjsp
3 American Diabetes Association Economic Costs of Diabetes in the US
in 2007 Available at: http://carediabetesjournalsorg/misc/econcostspdf
For state customization, add the following:
Type 2 diabetes is also a common and serious health problem in insert
state, affecting insert state prevalence percentage of the states
population From 1997 to 2007, the percentage of adults in insert state
with diabetes increased/decreased from insert 1997 prevalence
percentage to insert 2007 prevalence percentage4
The prevalence of diabetes increases with age and varies by race In
insert state, insert prevalence of 65 age group percent of people age
65 and over have diabetes and insert race
had the highest rate of
diagnosed diabetes in 20074
4 National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
BRFSS prevalence data Available at
http://appsnccdcdcgov/brfss/indexasp
For African American audience customization, add the following:
Type 2 diabetes is also a common and serious health problem within the
African American community, who are, on average, nearly twice as likely as
Caucasians to be diagnosed with diabetes Approximately 126 percent of
adult African Americans living in the United States have been diagnosed
with diabetes4
African Americans are at a greater risk for diabetes due to a variety of
genetic, medical and lifestyle factors Research suggests that African
Americans may have inherited a gene that derives energy from food very
efficiently, making weight control more difficult and contributing to high
blood pressure and diabetes5 Other factors that may contribute to the
disparity are lack of awareness of risk factors, poor diet and physical
inactivity
4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website BRFSS prevalence
data Available at: http://appsnccdcdcgov/brfss/indexasp
5 The Providers Guide to Quality and Culture Disparities Among
Specific
Racial, Ethnic and Cultural Groups Available at:
http://ercmshorg/mainpagecfm?file720htmmoduleproviderlanguageengli
sh
For Hispanic/Latino audience customization, add the following:
Type 2 diabetes is also a common and serious health problem within the
Hispanic community, who are, on average, nearly twice as likely as
Caucasians to be diagnosed with diabetes Approximately 71 percent of
adult Hispanics living in the United States have been diagnosed with
diabetes4
Hispanics are at a greater risk for diabetes due to a variety of genetic,
medical and lifestyle factors Family history of diabetes, gestational
diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, obesity, and
physical inactivity all play a greater role in the development of type 2
diabetes for individuals of Hispanic origin5
4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website BRFSS prevalence
data Available at: http://appsnccdcdcgov/brfss/indexasp
5 The Providers Guide to Quality and Culture Disparities Among Specific
Racial, Ethnic and Cultural Groups Available at:
http://ercmshorg/mainpagecfm?file720htmmoduleproviderlanguageengli
sh
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COMPANY
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