Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Diabetes Seventh Leading Cause Of Death In U.S.

Dr. Sandra B. Nichols, Director

Arkansas Health Department

You probably would not be surprised to hear that diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in America.

In 1995, it was estimated that while 16 million people in the United States had diabetes, only 8 million had been diagnosed with the condition.

The symptoms of diabetes include extreme thrist or hunger, dramatic weight loss and fatigue. But, because the process of diabetes is gradual, many people don't realize they have it until the following complications develop.

Blindness. Diabaetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people ages 20 to 74. Each year, nearly 25,000 people lose their sight because of diabetic retinopathy.

Kidney disease. Up to 21 percent of people with diabetes develop this problem.

Amputations. Diabetes is the most frequent cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputations. Each year, 54,000 people lose their foot or leg to diabetes.

Heart disease and stroke. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease, and they are two to four times more likely to suffer a stroke.

In Arkansas 150,000 citizens have been diagnosed with diabaetes. Approximately 1,700 new cases are diagnosed every day in the U.S.

We tend to think of diabetes as an adult disease, one that primarily strikes older people. So, you might be surprised to know how widespread this disabling disease is among children. It is estimated that more than 100,000 American children 19 years of age or younger, including infants, have been diagnosed with diabetes.

We make a hormone called insulin in our pancreas. Insulin is required by the body to burn glucose, the simple sugar that most foods are broken down into by our digestive system. People with diabetes have a problem making or utilizing insulin.

With juvenile diabetes (also known as Type I), the pancreas does not produce insulin needed by the body. Type II diabetes means the body produces insulin, but for some reason is not able to use it effectively. Type II diabetes usually strikes people over the age of 40.

Treatment may include insulin injections or oral drugs. Type I diabaetes is higher than for all other severe chronic diseases of childhood. Juvenile diabetes tends to run in families, and onset can begin in infancy.

Because babies and children with Type I diabetes have special needs, caring for them can present special challenges for their families. }