December 06, 2007

Dangers of Diabetes

Since 1987, the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 45%, while the death rates due to heart disease, stroke, and cancer have declined. If present trends continue, one in three Americans and one in two minorities born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

Nearly 21 million children and adults in the U.S. have diabetes which makes it the fifth deadliest disease in the U.S. Sadly, it still has no cure. In fact, almost one-third, or 6.2 million people are unaware they have it.

At least 54 million have pre-diabetes, a condition that puts them at great risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Jerome Tolbert, who's with the American Diabetes Association, joined Vic Eliason to discuss this worldwide epidemic.

Dr. Tolbert was careful to make the distinction between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 is the most prevalent, as about 90% of people with this disease have this form. Those with Type 2 diabetes are able to secrete some insulin from the pancreas, but over time, this ability declines to the degree that the body is no longer able to control blood sugar levels as it should.

Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease. This means there are antibodies that attack the cells that secrete the insulin, and as a result of this attack, the cells become non-functional, therefore your body is not able to secrete insulin.

This, along with other pertinent facts about this manageable disease, are covered on this edition of Crosstalk.

At the end of the program, Vic encouraged listeners to send in a personal picture so that the Crosstalk staff has a visual reminder of who the program ministers to. Put your name and address on the back of your picture, place it in an envelope, and mail it to the address below.

More Information

http://www.diabetes.org
http://www.diabetes.org/idecide

Send your picture to:
Crosstalk
3434 W. Kilbourn Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53208