National Diabetes Month — November 2011

Weekly

November 18, 2011 / 60(45);1549

November is National Diabetes Month. In 2010, nearly 26 million persons in the United States had diabetes, a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and nontraumatic lower-limb amputations, and 79 million adults were at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes (1). Persons with diabetes can take steps to control the disease and prevent complications, and persons at increased risk can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes through weight loss and physical activity (1,2).
CDC and state and territorial diabetes prevention and control programs are working with public and private partners to improve outcomes for persons with diabetes and to reduce new cases of type 2 diabetes. The National Diabetes Prevention Program, led by CDC, is designed to bring communities evidence-based lifestyle interventions for preventing type 2 diabetes (3,4). CDC's Native Diabetes Wellness Program has established cooperative agreements with 17 American Indian and Alaska Native communities to increase access to traditional local foods and increase physical activity. Resources on diabetes control and prevention are available at http://www.yourdiabetesinfo.org. Information about diabetes, including the importance of a yearly influenza vaccine, is available at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes.

References

1. CDC. National diabetes fact sheet: national estimates and general information on diabetes and prediabetes in the United States, 2011. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2011.
2. 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.
3. CDC. National Diabetes Prevention Program. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/index.htm. Accessed November 16, 2011.
4. Ackermann RT, Finch EA, Brizendine E, Zhou H, Marrero DG. Translating the Diabetes Prevention Program into the community. The DEPLOY pilot study. Am J Prev Med 2008;35:357--63.

National Diabetes Month — November 2011