How Can You Defeat Diabetes?

You may not know that the incidence of diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Over 26 million people have the disease and 4,400 people are being diagnosed daily. Astonishingly, nearly one-third of all diabetics don’t know they have this potentially debilitating disease and another 79+ million people are “pre-diabetics” who aren’t aware that they are in danger of developing the disease.  Those figures continue to increase each year.

The complications from diabetes can be severe. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness in the United States and can also lead to amputations, heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease. Diabetes causes 200,000 deaths annually in the United States,more than cancer and AIDs combined. 

Recent reports from the Center for Disease Control indicate that the annual cost of diabetes, climbed from $98 billion in 1997 to $132 billion in 2002.  Further, the direct medical costs of diabetes more than doubled from $44 billion in 1997 to $91.8 billion in 2002. Indirect costs included lost workdays, restricted activity days; death and permanent disabilities and totaled $39.8 billion.

The nation spends $13,243 annually on each diabetic patient, compared to $2560 per person for people who do not have diabetes.

Join my interview with Dawn Swidorski Public Outreach Director Defeat Diabetes Foundation dswidorski@DefeatDiabetes.org