National Diabetes Month — November 2012

National Diabetes Month — November 2012

Weekly

November 2, 2012 / 61(43);869-869

November is National Diabetes Month. In 2010, nearly 26 million persons in the United States had diabetes, and an estimated 79 million adults had prediabetes (1). Persons with diabetes can take steps to control the disease and prevent complications, and those with prediabetes can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes through weight loss and physical activity (1,2).
Diabetes can occur at any age (1). To address the burden of diabetes among U.S. youths, CDC and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health support the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study (http://www.searchfordiabetes.org). The study provides estimates of the incidence and prevalence of diabetes in young persons in the United States.
Persons with diabetes might be exposed to bloodborne viruses through contaminated equipment. Insulin pens and similar devices for delivery of diabetes medications are meant for one person only and should never be shared. New resources include print materials (http://www.oneandonlycampaign.org/content/print-materials) to raise awareness about the basics of injection safety. Because adults with diabetes are at increased risk for developing kidney disease (1), CDC also is launching the National Chronic Kidney Disease Surveillance System (http://www.cdc.gov/ckd) to monitor chronic kidney disease trends in the United States.

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. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2011.pdf . Accessed October 29, 2012.
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.