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American Diabetes Association Recognizes World Diabetes Day

Posted on: Friday, 14 November 2008, 09:00 CST

The American Diabetes Association will join International Diabetes Federation and their worldwide global diabetes efforts on World Diabetes Day, November 14, to raise awareness of the growing diabetes epidemic. This year's theme for World Diabetes Day is Diabetes in Children and Adolescents.

"Caring for a child with diabetes requires attention 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said John Buse, MD, PhD, President, Medicine & Science, American Diabetes Association. "It is critical that family, educators, and policy makers are more aware of what all is required so that children with diabetes have an opportunity to live normal and happy lives. It is also important that parents know the symptoms of diabetes because type 1 diabetes can be misdiagnosed initially."

In the United States, the American Diabetes Association reaches more than 30,000 families of children with diabetes through our programmatic efforts and informational resources including:

 --  Safe at School -- This campaign ensures that all students with diabetes are educated in a medically safe environment and have the same access to educational opportunities as their peers.   --  ADA Diabetes Camps -- The American Diabetes Association is the largest provider of camps for children with diabetes.  More than 7,000 children a year attend these Camps each summer. --  Family Resource Network -- This program offers peer-to-peer support and educational workshops for families managing diabetes across the country.  --  Planet D -- The interactive web portion of this program (www.diabetes.org/planetD) allows kids and teens to explore more about the disease, discover new ways to manage it, and connect with others with diabetes in a safe and secure social networking environment. --  Wizdom Kit -- The kit provides information to families who are newly diagnosed. 

Signs & Symptoms of Diabetes

Common symptoms of diabetes include:

 --  Frequent need to urinate --  Unusual hunger --  More tired than usual --  Unusual thirst --  Blurred vision --  Unexplained weight loss 

November is American Diabetes Month

Throughout American Diabetes Month this November, the American Diabetes Association is asking Why Should You Care about Diabetes? If current trends continue, one in three Americans -- and one in two minorities -- born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime. Currently, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that 246 million people worldwide have diabetes. In the United States, nearly 24 million children and adults have diabetes and 57 million have pre-diabetes.

Additional statistics on children with diabetes include (Data Source - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):

 --  Based on 2002-2003 data, 15,000 youth in the United States were newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes annually, and about 3,700 youth were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes annually.  --  The rate of new cases among youth was 19.0 per 100,000 each year for type 1 diabetes and 5.3 per 100,000 for type 2 diabetes. --  Type 2 diabetes was extremely rare among youth aged < 10 years. While still infrequent, rates were greater among youth aged 10-19 years compared to younger children, with higher rates among U.S. minority populations compared with non-Hispanic whites.  

To find out more information, including how to subscribe to Homefront -- the mini-magazine for families of kids with diabetes, or Parents' E-newsletter -- a bi-monthly e-publication, contact the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES or visit www.diabetes.org.

American Diabetes Association

The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight against the deadly consequences of diabetes and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.

 Contact: Sarah Bradley (703) 549-1500, ext. 2231 sbradley@diabetes.org

SOURCE: American Diabetes Association

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