Published: November 26, 2008 11:47 am            

Murtha: Diabetes challenges being met, but battle rages on

There is a diabetes epidemic in this country, and over the past decade we have seen an alarming rise in the number of people diagnosed with the disease.

Today, there are more than 23 million Americans afflicted with diabetes. This includes nearly 800,000 Pennsylvanians, 40,500 in the 12th Congressional District alone.

Diabetes is without boundaries. It doesn’t matter what country you live in, what ethnic background you come from, or how much money you have in your pocket. It can affect us all.

The disease places physical and emotional strains on individuals and their families. Once diagnosed, it becomes a 24/7 responsibility and the entire family becomes involved with managing the disease. If left undiagnosed or untreated, serious health complications can arise.

Medical costs for treatment are staggering. On average, those afflicted spend $10,000 more per year on medical care than those without diabetes.

In 2007, diabetes cost the United States $174 billion in excess medical expenditures and lost productivity, a 32 percent increase from 2002.

Here in the 12th Congressional District, the medical and indirect costs added up to $366 million this past year.

We must reverse this epidemic. November is American Diabetes Month. It is a time to raise awareness, to promote the importance of diet and exercise, and to support proper management and care.

In 2004, I started directing federal funds for programs aimed at combating diabetes, both in the military and in western Pennsylvania. With local partnerships and $135 million in federal funding, we are fighting diabetes through research, education and outreach programs.

At the University of Pittsburgh Diabetes Institute, experts are examining the lifestyle factors and choices of type 2 diabetics. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes and occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin, or the cells ignore insulin.

A poor diet and lack of exercise, which contribute to a growing rate of obesity, are key factors in the rise of type 2 diabetes nationally.

The Pittsburgh Regional Initiative for Diabetes Education (PRIDE), a program created by the Diabetes Institute, is fighting these factors through education and outreach tools. It is placing diabetes educators and dietitians within our rural hospitals and primary care practices. This allows one-on-one training of medical staff, and personalized consultations and care for patients.

PRIDE reaches patients in seven Pennsylvania counties. In Cambria, the Conemaugh Health System-PRIDE partnership offers patients a comprehensive outpatient educational program at Memorial Medical Center’s Lee Campus.

Certified diabetes educators offer one-on-one counseling and classes on meal and nutrition planning, blood glucose monitoring, exercise instruction, review of medications, etc.

They also offer a free monthly support program that allows patients to interact with specialists and other diabetics.

The Tribune-Democrat recently profiled a Johnstown woman who lost 30 pounds by taking advantage of the hospital’s wellness programs. These are the types of successes we are after.

At UPMC’s Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, researchers have begun human clinical trials to cure type 1 diabetes. Type 1 occurs when the body does not produce insulin; it is usually diagnosed in children and young adults.

Dr. Massimo Trucco and his team have successfully “cured” type 1 diabetes in mice and have discovered that type 1 may be triggered by a common virus in children who are genetically predisposed to the disease.

Their research involves extracting cells of an individual, engineering these cells to produce insulin, and transplanting these new insulin- producing cells back into the body.

We are making progress, but obvious challenges remain. It’s not easy to convince people to maintain a healthy diet and exercise plan, but this is where we must start.

I pledge to continue fighting for a cure for diabetes, to provide the necessary resources and programs to prevent its onset, and to ensure that people in our area have first-class treatment programs.

I urge you to talk to your doctor, create a diet and exercise plan, and take advantage of the programs offered throughout our area.

Together, we can reverse the spread of diabetes.



John Murtha of Johnstown represents the 12th district in the U.S. House of Representatives.

        

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