American Diabetes Month --- November 2009

November is American Diabetes Month. In 2007, nearly 24 million persons in the United States had diabetes, a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and nontraumatic amputations (1). Persons who are obese are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes (2). However, weight loss and physical activity can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes among adults at risk (3), and persons with diabetes can reduce their risk for complications by controlling their blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol, and by receiving other preventive care in a timely manner (1).

The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) has added new material to its "Managing diabetes -- it's not easy, but it's worth it" campaign to help persons with diabetes prevent or delay complications. Those and other resources are available at http://www.yourdiabetesinfo.org or by calling 888-693-6337. More information about diabetes, including guidance on diabetes and influenza and county-level data on the estimated prevalence of diabetes and obesity, also are available from CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes.

References

1. CDC. National diabetes fact sheet: general information and national estimates on diabetes in the United States, 2007. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2008. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2007.pdf. Accessed November 12, 2009.
2. Li C, Ford ES, McGuire LC, Mokdad AH. Increasing trends in waist circumference and abdominal obesity among US adults. Obesity 2007;15:216--24.
3. Knowler WC, Barrett-Connor E, Fowler SE, et al. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. N Engl J Med 2002;346:393--403.

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Date last reviewed: 11/19/2009