Increasing Prevalence of Diagnosed Diabetes — United States and Puerto Rico, 1995–2010

CDC: November 16, 2012

In 2010, an estimated 18.8 million persons in the United States had diagnosed diabetes mellitus and another 7.0 million had undiagnosed diabetes (1). Since 1990, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the United States has risen sharply (2,3) among all age groups, both sexes, and all racial/ethnic groups for which data are available (2). To learn whether the increase has been greater in some regions of the United States than in others, data on self-reported diabetes in adults collected during 1995–2010 by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed. The analysis showed that the age-adjusted prevalence of diagnosed diabetes increased during the interval in every state, the District of Columbia (DC), and Puerto Rico. In 1995, age-adjusted prevalence was ≥6% in only three states, DC, and Puerto Rico, but by 2010 it was ≥6% in every state, DC, and Puerto Rico, and ≥10.0% in six states and Puerto Rico. Strategies to prevent diabetes and its preventable risk factors are needed, especially for those at highest risk for diabetes, to slow the rise in diabetes prevalence across the United States. Continued surveillance of diabetes prevalence and incidence, its risk factors, and prevention efforts is important to measure progress of prevention efforts. Read more

Kathleen Sebelius on National Diabetes Month and World Diabetes Day

On Nov. 14, World Diabetes Day, we unite with individuals living with diabetes, their families, advocates and health care professionals to raise awareness of this devastating disease around the world. Combating diabetes is an urgent public health issue. More than 340 million people worldwide have diabetes. As the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, diabetes affects nearly 26 million Americans of all ages. Another 79 million adults are estimated to have prediabetes, a condition that places them at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. In November, we also observe National Diabetes Month and reaffirm our commitment to educating ourselves and our communities on how we can manage, treat or prevent diabetes.

Insulin helps the body use glucose from food for energy. With type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, the body does not make or use insulin well. With type 1 diabetes, the body does not make insulin, and the individual must have insulin delivered by injection or pump to survive. While we have made progress in research leading to improved treatment of diabetes, the burden of this devastating disease continues to rise. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, nontraumatic lower-limb amputations, and new cases of blindness among adults in the United States. Diabetes also is a major cause of heart disease and stroke. Preventing type 2 diabetes and its complications can improve the quality of life for millions of people and save billions of dollars. The direct and indirect costs of diabetes in 2007 were as much as $174 billion. Read more

Caffeinated and caffeine-free beverages and risk of type 2 diabetes

American Society for Nutrition: 11/14/12

Background: Consumption of caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea has been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Paradoxically, short-term metabolic studies have shown that caffeine impairs postprandial glycemic control.

Objective: The objective was to prospectively examine the association of caffeinated compared with caffeine-free beverages, including coffee, tea, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and carbonated artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs), with T2D risk.

Design: We prospectively observed 74,749 women from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS, 1984–2008) and 39,059 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS, 1986–2008) who were free of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer at baseline. Read more

Managing Diabetes Doesn’t Have To Be Difficult

kuhf: 11/13/12

Nearly 26 million Americans, or 8.3 percent of the population, live with diabetes, including myself.

The elderly and Latino population are the fastest growing segments in Texas. Classic symptoms include blurred vision, thirstiness and frequent urination. Left untreated, it can lead to more serious complications, like stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, blindness or amputation.

Dr. Griffin Rodgers directs the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

“Almost 7 million have diabetes and don’t know that they have the disease. But perhaps more troubling is 79 million adults have pre-diabetes. And pre-diabetes is a condition that increases your risk of developing Type-2 diabetes, but independently it increases your risk of having heart disease and stroke.”

Coryell County in Central Texas, has the highest number of diabetics in the state, almost 11 percent. Dr. Rodgers says a number of risk factors have been linked to diabetes: family history, being over weight or obese, ethnicity; African-  American, American Indian or Asian, increases the chances of developing diabetes. Read more

Diabetes and Risk of Hearing Impairment in Adults: A Meta-Analysis

Variation in Use of High-Cost Diabetes Mellitus Medications in the VA Healthcare System

JAMA: 11/12/12

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest integrated health care system in the United States, may serve as a model of efficient use of prescription drugs. It consistently ranks among the top of all US health care systems in objective ratings of quality of care for chronic diseases,¹ and it does so with low medication costs. The VA negotiates steep price discounts with pharmaceutical manufacturers and engages in robust formulary management using a national formulary. This centralized approach to pharmacy benefit management stands in stark contrast to Medicare Part D, which contracts with over 1000 private plans, each with its own formulary, and which has substantial regional variation in per capita drug spending.² Even within a tightly managed system such as the VA, however, there may also be significant variation across facilities in medication use and spending.  Read more

Long-Term Changes in Adiposity and Glycemic Control Are Associated With Past Adenovirus Infection