Diabetes Health Talk

Courtesy U.S. Rep. John Murtha: Diabetes places physical and emotional strains on individuals and their families. Once diagnosed, diabetes 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.

The medical costs for treating diabetes are staggering. On average, those with diabetes spend $10,000 more per year on medical care than those without diabetes. Last year, 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 last year.

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

At the University of Pittsburgh Diabetes Institute, diabetes experts are examining the lifestyle factors and choices of type 2 diabetics. Type 2 diabetes 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 by developing education and outreach tools and 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.

The PRIDE program currently reaches patients in seven Pennsylvania counties…. In Fayette, Greene, and Washington Counties, the PRIDE program partners with Uniontown Hospital, Washington Hospital, Highlands Hospital, and the Centerville Clinics to offer patients a comprehensive outpatient educational program. Certified diabetes educators offer one-on-one and group classes on meal and nutrition planning, blood glucose monitoring, behavior modifications, exercise and weight management, and stress management. They also have a free monthly support group that allows patients to interact with specialists and other diabetics.