Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Diabetes 'Alert' Scheduled For March 25

On Tuesday, March 25, the American Diabetes Association urges people to discover their risk for a silent disease that kills 178,000 people per year before faced with its devastating complications, such as blindness, heart attack, kidney disease and amputations.

Known as the American Diabetes Alert, this one-day nation campaign will inform the public about diabetes and its association with obesity, age, lack of exercise and family history of the disease.

With the number of people over the age of 50 increasing and one-third of American's adult population overweight, the number of people at-risk for diabetes will escalate, particularly among baby boomers and the elderly.

Half of all diabetes cases occur in people older than 55 years of age, and affects 11% of those who are between 65 and 74 years of age. For elderly African Americans and Hispanics, diabaetes is found in at least 20% of their population.

"Already, ethnic minorities and the elderly are disproportionately affected by diabetes," said Amy Woodruff, program director. "However, as society gets older and heavier, the need to increase awareness about risk factors is reaching critical mass. We need to do something now before diabetes becomes a tragic public health issue."

A major goal of the American Diabetes Alert is to inform people of the deadly link that exists between diabeates, age, inactivity, being overweight and a family history of the disease.

Additionally, the Alert's goal is to help people understand that modest changes in eating and exercise habits make a big difference. The centerpiece of the Alert is a simple paper and pencil test people can take to assess their individual risk for the disease. The test is free and available by calling the association at 1-800-342-2383).

"It is especially crucial to alert people to the dangers of diabetes, because it can be a silent killer -- gradually causing your body's blood vessels and nerves to deteriorate with no apparent symptoms or warning signs," continued Woodruff. "It's no wonder that half of the 16 million Americans who have diabetes don't even know it."

In addition to the elderly population, African American, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders should pay a special attention to these risk factors since the occurrence of the disease is greater in these populations as compared to the general population.

While most people do not experience any overt symptoms, some people do. They include extreme thirst, blurry vision, frequent urination, unusual tiredness and unexplained weight loss.

Diabetes is a disease that affects the body's ability to produce or respond properly to insulin, a hormone that allows blood sugar to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy. Being overweight decreases the body's ability to use insulin, causing a condition known as insulin resistance.

When an overweight person loses weight, insulin resistance decreases. Reduced insulin resistance usually lower blood glucose levels, allowing many patients taking insulin or oral medications to reduce their dosage.

Since 1958, the rate of people with diabetes in the U.S. has tripled.

Diabetes costs this country nearly $138 billion each year in health care and related costs for treatment and lost productivity. But no price can be put on the devastation it wreaks on the thousands who suffer from its complications.

Each year, diabetes causes 24,000 people to lose their sight, 54,000 people to have a foot or leg amputated, and 20,000 people to undergo dialysis or transplantation for kidney failure.

There is no cure for diabetes, but proper treatment can control blood sugar levels and help prevent or delay diabetes-related complications.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the Association supports an affiliate office in every state and provides services in more than 800 communities across the country.