In its biannual report on diabetes, the CDC revealed last week that 20.8 million Americans are now living with diabetes, a 14 percent increase from the18.2 million the CDC reported in 2003. Another 41 million have pre-diabetes, the condition that indicates an increased risk for developing both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is estimated that heart disease and stroke kill two out of three people with diabetes.
About 13.3 percent of African Americans, 9.5 percent of Latino Americans and 8.4 percent of Caucasians, aged 20 or over, are estimated to have diabetes.
"Ethnic populations are not only at higher risk for having diabetes, but also are more likely to develop serious diabetes complications that could lead to disability or death. The challenge for educators and clinicians today is providing patients with the best tools and empowering them with the knowledge that they can control their diabetes and prevent its complications," says James R. Gavin III, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine, Emory University and former chair, National Diabetes Education Program.
Health care providers say patients should follow the ABCs of Diabetes: A is for the A1C test, which measures average blood glucose over the past 2 to 3 months; B is for blood pressure; and C is for cholesterol.
