ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Newly released statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) illustrate that diabetes has risen by over 14 percent in the last two years. The CDC estimates that 20.8 million Americans -- 7 percent of the U.S. population -- have diabetes, up from 18.2 million in 2003. Nearly a third of these Americans are undiagnosed. According to the American Diabetes Association (the Association), the new numbers highlight the growing diabetes epidemic in the United States and reinforce the need for increased research and prevention. The CDC’s report also demonstrates the need for all Americans with diabetes to have access to affordable and adequate health care.
“This study confirms what we already know: diabetes is one of this country’s most prolific and deadly diseases,” said Robert A. Rizza, MD, President of the American Diabetes Association. “Diabetes touches all of us in some way, which is why we must continue to work together to find a cure for diabetes and to improve the lives of the nearly 21 million Americans affected by diabetes.”
Although the prevalence of diabetes has continued to rise, federal funding for diabetes research has not kept pace with the increase. For instance, funding for the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation has only increased from $61.7 million in fiscal year 2002 to $64 million in fiscal year 2005. The Division of Diabetes Translation runs state-based Diabetes Prevention and Control Programs, which take medical research -- such as that sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- and translates it into practices and programs that can be used in local communities. These programs help those currently suffering from diabetes better control and manage the disease and also help those at risk for diabetes prevent or delay its onset. Unfortunately, current funding levels only allow the Division of Diabetes Translation to provide full support for 26 states.
In addition to urging Congress to increase funding for research at both the CDC and NIH, the Association has been a strong advocate for stem cell research, which will help advance the search for better treatments and a cure for diabetes. The Association supports the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S.471/H.R. 810), which earlier this year passed the U.S. House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support and currently awaits a vote in the U.S. Senate. The Association hopes the Senate will vote on the legislation early next year.
The Association has also been a strong advocate for efforts that help to ensure that Americans with diabetes have access to health care that enables them to properly manage and control the disease. Having access to preventative care, more intensive diabetes management, and diabetes tools helps prevent the serious complications associated with diabetes, while simultaneously saving the U.S. health care system billions of dollars in long- term costs. Consequently, the Association has fought cuts to Medicaid that would leave patients without the tools and supplies they need. The Association has also fought against efforts to weaken state health insurance protections for individuals with diabetes.
“The facts tell the story of the severity of diabetes,” said Lawrence T. Smith, Chair of the Board of the American Diabetes Association. “With an increased commitment to diabetes research and prevention, fewer and fewer Americans will develop diabetes. With improved health care, the 21 million Americans with diabetes can better manage and control this chronic condition.”
Additional facts: * The total direct and indirect diabetes costs in the United States in 2002 was $132 billion. * Diabetes remains a leading cause of heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, and amputations. * Since 1987, the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 45 percent, while the death rates due to heart disease, stroke and cancer have declined. * Minorities are at a greater risk for diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. After adjusting for population age differences, non-Hispanic blacks are 1.8 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites, while Mexican Americans -- the largest Hispanic subgroup -- are 1.7 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites.
The American Diabetes Association is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. The Association’s advocacy efforts include helping to combat discrimination against people with diabetes; advocating for the increase of federal diabetes research and programs; and improved access to, and quality of, healthcare for people with diabetes. The Association’s mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Founded in 1940, the Association provides service to hundreds of communities across the country. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit http://www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.
American Diabetes Association
CONTACT: Zach Goldberg of the American Diabetes Association,+1-703-549-1500, ext. 2622, or zgoldberg@diabetes.org
Web site: http://www.diabetes.org/
