An Alarming Rate of Diabetes Continues to Grip America

September 3, 2018

The American Diabetes Association Continues to Raise Awareness with its “A Day in the Life of Diabetes” Campaign

Lurelean B. Gaines, RN, MSN, President, Health Care & Education, Chair, Department of Nursing, East Los Angeles College

Nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes.  Another 79 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.  As many as one in three adults will have diabetes in 2050 unless we take steps to Stop Diabetes.

We hear these statistics, but what is it like to live with diabetes, 24/7, 365 days a week?

To raise awareness about this incredibly wide spread illness and to find answers for this daunting question, the American Diabetes Association kicks off the American Diabetes Month with the project “A Day in the Life of Diabetes.”  Pictures submitted by diabetes to the ADA’s Facebook page create a mosaic representing what “A day in the Life of Diabetes” means to them – the effort it takes to live with the disease and its impact on families and communities across the country.

These photos that will embody the mosaic throughout the month will capture the essence of the campaign and its movement.

In addition, the American Diabetes Association will be working closely with NASCAR driver, Ryan Reed, to showcase the mosaic in the NASCAR series. Ryan’s race car will be wrapped with photos from the mosaic and will be featured in his Nov. 9 race in Phoenix during American Diabetes Month.

The American Diabetes Association is behind the largest national movement to Stop Diabetes and its deadly consequences.

The Toll Diabetes Takes on Health:

  • Two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.
  • Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure. Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults.
  • The rate of amputation for people with diabetes is 10 times higher than for people without diabetes. About 60-70 percent of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nerve damage that could result in pain in the feet or hands, slowed digestion, sexual dysfunction and other nerve problems.

The Toll Diabetes Takes on the Economy:

  • The American Diabetes Association estimates that the total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $245 billion.
  • Direct medical costs reach $176 billion and the average medical expenditure among people with diabetes is 2.3 times higher than those without the disease.
  • Indirect costs amount to $69 billion (disability, work loss, premature mortality).
  • One in 10 health care dollars is spent treating diabetes and its complications.

One in five health care dollars is spent caring for people with diabetes.

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