Diabetes Epidemic Hits the United States

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Diabetes Epidemic Hits the United States
Final Call , News Report, Nisa Islam Muhammad, Posted: Jul 14, 2008
(FinalCall.com) - Diabetes, called by many the disease of excess,now affects nearly 24 million people in the United States, anincrease of more than 3 million in approximately two years,according to new 2007 prevalence data estimates released June 25,by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This means that nearly 8 percent of the U.S. population hasdiabetes.

"There's no simple answer as to why we�re seeing thisincrease. So many more people are obese and overweight. Fat is thedirect cause of diabetes. Couple that with improper eating, lack ofexercise and the type of food people eat," explained Dr. JewelCrawford, of the Morehouse School of Medicine.

In addition to the 24 million with diabetes, another 57 millionpeople are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition that putspeople at increased risk for diabetes. Among people with diabetes,those who do not know they have the disease decreased from 30percent to 25 percent over a two-year period.

"These new estimates have both good news and bad news," said Dr.Ann Albright, director of the CDC Division of Diabetes Translation."It is concerning to know that we have more people developingdiabetes, and these data are a reminder of the importance ofincreasing awareness of this condition, especially among people whoare at high risk.

"On the other hand, it is good to see that more people are awarethat they have diabetes. That is an indication that our efforts toincrease awareness are working, and more importantly, that morepeople are better prepared to manage this disease and itscomplications."

At Temple University�s School of Podiatric Medicinepodiatrists have seen a spike in recently diagnosed diabeticpatients who have been referred by their primary care physician aspart of a heightened awareness of the disease.

"Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions, and health careproviders are becoming more proactive in their approach to care,"said Temple podiatrist Kathya Zinszer, who specializes in diabeticwound care.

"In years past, patients would come to their doctor with chronicfoot wounds, and would be so far gone that the only option would beto amputate. Now, that's not the case, thanks to the push forpreventative care."

Diabetes is a disease associated with high levels of blood glucoseresulting from defects in insulin production that causes sugar tobuild up in the body. It is the seventh leading cause of death inthe country and can cause serious health complications includingheart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremityamputations.

Among adults, diabetes increased in both men and women and in allage groups, but still disproportionately affects the elderly.Almost 25 percent of the population 60 years and older had diabetesin 2007.

And, as in previous years, disparities exist among Caucasians,Native Americans, Blacks and Latinos. After adjusting forpopulation age differences between the groups, the rate ofdiagnosed diabetes was highest among Native Americans and AlaskaNatives (16.5 percent).

This was followed by Blacks (11.8 percent) and Latinos (10.4percent), which includes rates for Puerto Ricans (12.6 percent),Mexican Americans (11.9 percent), and Cubans (8.2 percent).

By comparison, the rate for Asian Americans was 7.5 percent withWhites at 6.6 percent.

Temple's approach to preventative care is two fold: At the Foot andAnkle Institute, newly diagnosed diabetics undergo a number ofbaseline tests including shoe fittings and gait analysis, todetermine and correct any problem areas before they develop intochronic ulcers or wounds.

In addition, Dr. Zinszer and her colleagues stress the need forpatients to make foot care a part of their everyday lives. Shesuggests wearing good, supportive slippers in the house, nevergoing barefoot outdoors and checking inside the shoes to make surethere are no foreign objects that could rub or cut the foot.

"I tell all my patients to get in the habit of checking their shoesnow, because while they may have good feeling in their feet today,in 10 years, they might not," said Dr. Zinszer.

"Our goal is to do everything we can to salvage limbs and help ourdiabetic patients maintain a good quality of life," she said.

Dr. Crawford explains that there are also environment causes of thedisease as well.

"Animals are fed steroids to make them bigger. The steroids causeweight gain in the animals, which in turn causes weight gain in thepeople who eat them. Milk also has bovine growth hormone. Theseadditives are stored in the fat tissue," she told The Final Call.

"There�s also too much sugar consumed. From Big Gulps to 32ounce sodas. The average can of soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar.What if a person has four or five of these a day? That's 40-50teaspoons of sugar."

She added, "This is a lifestyle disease which causes the pancreasto burn out. The pancreas releases insulin. There's also a lack ofexercise. People take in all of these calories but don�tburn them off."

The good news according to Dr. Crawford is that early detection ofType II Diabetes can be reversed.

"People have to eat more fruit and vegetables. They have toexercise if only to go walking. The sedentary lifestyle is killingus. Weight loss, exercise and a change of diet can helpdramatically."

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