On November 14, World Diabetes Day—and during National Diabetes Month– we join with individuals living with diabetes, their families, advocates, and health care professionals to raise awareness of this devastating disease around the world.

Combating diabetes is a serious public health issue. More than 340 million people worldwide have diabetes. Recognizing the urgency of this public health problem globally, this May the World Health Assembly adopted a global target to stop the rise in diabetes by 2025.

As the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, diabetes affects nearly 26 million Americans of all ages. Another 79 million adults are estimated to have prediabetes, a condition that places them at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

While we have made progress in research leading to improved treatment of diabetes, the burden of this complex disease continues to rise. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations not caused by injury, and new cases of blindness among adults in the United States. Diabetes also is a major cause of heart disease and stroke.

Preventing type 2 diabetes and its complications can improve the quality of life for millions of people and save billions of dollars. The direct and indirect costs of diabetes in 2007 were as much as $174 billion.

Yet, while type 2 diabetes is often preventable, more and more people – including young people — are at risk for type 2 diabetes due partly to the obesity epidemic and aging of the U.S. population.

Currently there is no way to prevent type 1 diabetes, which is most commonly diagnosed in children and young adults. However, researchers continue their work to identify risk factors and explore preventive measures.

It is important to keep in mind the theme of HHS’s National Diabetes Education Program for National Diabetes Month this year: Diabetes is a family affair. Diabetes strikes not only individuals, but families, communities, and our Nation.

Encouraging research shows that taking small steps, such as adding vegetables and fruits to your diet and getting 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five days a week, can help manage type 2 diabetes and improve health. These lifestyle changes can support weight loss, which can go a long way in helping a person at high risk for type 2 diabetes delay or prevent its onset.

Involve your entire family. Cook a balanced meal. Share a brisk walk, talk with your family about your health and your family’s diabetes risk. Schools, work sites, and places of worship can also be part of the diabetes prevention and management solution.

Preventive care is critical to improving health and identifying early signs of disease or risk-factors. That is why the Affordable Care Act ensures that, in non-grandfathered health plans, Americans at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes can receive diabetes screening, diet counseling and obesity screening with no out-of-pocket cost. Additionally, screening for gestational diabetes is available at no additional charge for pregnant women. In 2014, Americans cannot be denied health coverage because they have diabetes or any other pre-existing condition.

Initiatives such as First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s National Diabetes Prevention Program and the National Diabetes Education Program (a partnership of the National Institutes of Health and CDC) are helping Americans of all ages take action to improve their health and that of the nation.

To learn more about what you can do to prevent or control diabetes, please see www.YourDiabetesInfo.org  or www.cdc.gov/diabetes.

For information on the National Diabetes Prevention Program, please visit www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention.

For a fraud alert for people with diabetes, see http://oig.hhs.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2012/alert20120309.asp.

Society says progress made to cut tobacco use but too many – 43 million Americans – still smoke

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – As the American Cancer Society celebrates its 100th year in the fight to end cancer, it is encouraging smokers to use the 37th annual Great American Smokeout on Thursday, November 21 to make a plan to quit smoking and help finish the fight against tobacco. While smoking has decreased significantly since the 1950s, more than 43 million Americans – nearly one in five adults – still smoke, according to the Society. For resources and help, call your American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or go to www.cancer.org.

Some Ideas for Quitting:

*Make a long-term plan to quit smoking for good. Find tips and tools to help at www.cancer.org/healthy/stayawayfromtobacco/smoking.

*The American Cancer Society offers a Quit For Life Program operated by Alere Wellbeing, a phone-based coaching and Web-based learning support service to help people quit smoking. This program has helped more than 1 million tobacco users make a plan to quit for good. Even if you don’t participate in Quit For Life, download the free mobile app at www.quitnow.net.

*Take a quiz to find out what kind of smoker you are and if you need help to quit smoking, go to:  www.cancer.org/healthy/toolsandcalculators/quizzes/app/smoking-habits-quiz

*Play the American Cancer Society’s Zombie Smokeout game – download the free app for this action-packed mobile game, and when the urge to smoke hits you, soak zombies instead.  www.cancer.org/healthy/stayawayfromtobacco/greatamericansmokeout/zombie-smokeout-mobile-game
“This mobile game was developed in 2012 to help smokers keep their hands busy when the craving for a cigarette occurs,” said Sabrina Sexton, Digital Experience Strategist for the American Cancer Society. “Most people have their mobile device with them at all times. Zombie Smokeout can provide a fun distraction until the intensity of a tobacco craving passes.”

From 1965 to today, cigarette smoking among adults in the U.S. decreased from more than 42 percent to around 19 percent. Currently, smoke-free workplace laws protect 49 percent of the U.S. population from the dangers of secondhand smoke. Yet about 43.8 million Americans still smoke cigarettes. Every six seconds, someone in the world dies because of tobacco use. Each year, about 3,400 non-smoking adults die of lung cancer as a result of breathing in secondhand smoke, which contains more than 7,000 chemicals, at least 69 of which cause cancer. Smoking rates are increasing among women, particularly young women. Women and children account for 75 percent of the deaths caused by secondhand smoke.
The American Cancer Society created the trademarked concept and held its first Great American Smokeout in 1976 as a way to inspire smokers to quit for a day. One million people gave up smoking for a day at the 1976 event in California. While current smokers are encouraged to use the day to make a quit plan, non-smokers are asked to take action that will help finish the fight against tobacco, such as:

·         Tell lawmakers the fight against tobacco must be a priority. Become an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) advocate at ACSCAN.org.
·         Encourage friends and family to visit cancer.org for tools to help them quit.
·         Spread the word. Visit cancer.org/smokeout for printable resources to post at your office, church, school, etc.
·         Donate to fund research and smoking cessation programs to help save more lives faster.

Set your sight on healthy vision if you have diabetes

The subject of diabetes seems to be everywhere these days—in the news, on social media, even on talk shows. In fact, 26 million people have diabetes, and this number is increasing, putting more people at risk for health complications. If you or someone in your family has diabetes, you should talk to them about diabetic eye disease, one of the complications of diabetes.
Diabetic eye disease includes cataract, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, which is the most common form of the disease. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age. More than 800,000 African Americans have diabetic retinopathy, and this number will likely reach 1.2 million by 2030. While everyone who has diabetes can get diabetic eye disease, African Americans are at higher risk of losing vision or going blind from it.
“The longer a person has diabetes, the greater is his or her risk of developing diabetic eye disease,” said Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Eye Institute (NEI). “If you have diabetes, be sure to have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. Don’t wait until you notice an eye problem to have an exam, because vision that is lost cannot be restored.”
Unfortunately, diabetic eye disease often has no early warning signs. But the good news you can share with your family is that it can be detected early and treated before vision loss occurs.
“In fact, with early detection, timely treatment, and appropriate follow-up care, people with diabetes can reduce their risk of severe vision loss by 95 percent,” adds Suber Huang, M.D., M.B.A., chair of the Diabetic Eye Disease Subcommittee for NEI’s National Eye Health Education Program.
Research has also shown that when people with diabetes have good control of their blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, they can help delay getting diabetic eye disease, or slow its progress. In addition to having annual comprehensive dilated eye exams, people with diabetes should do the following to keep their health on TRACK:
·       Take your medications.
·       Reach and maintain a healthy weight.
·       Add physical activity to your daily routine.
·       Control your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
·       Kick the smoking habit.
Family matters. So if you or someone in your family has diabetes, set your sight on healthy vision. Schedule a comprehensive dilated eye exam today. For more information on diabetic eye disease and tips on finding an eye care professional and financial assistance for eye care, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov/diabetes or call the NEI at 301–496–5248.