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Brown supports act seeking screening, tracking of disease that's on rise
By Tracy Wheeler
Beacon Journal medical writer
Published on Friday, Dec 14, 2007
Since 2000, just two other Ohio counties saw a larger increase in the rate of diabetes cases than Summit County.
According to statistics from the Ohio Department of Health, the number of people with diabetes in Summit County increased 29.5 percent in the past seven years. Mahoning County saw the largest increase at 58.6 percent, followed by Montgomery County at 34.4 percent.
The statistics were highlighted Thursday as part of Sen. Sherrod Brown's announcement of the Catalyst to Better Diabetes Care Act, which he plans to introduce with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
The legislation would increase diabetes screening, promote employee wellness programs, improve the collection of data about diabetes deaths, and create a national diabetes report card.
Statewide, the number of people with diabetes has increased 14 percent since 2000.
''It's a huge jump,'' Brown said during a teleconference, ''and we know it doesn't affect everyone equally.''
African-Americans are more likely to die from diabetes than whites. Those older than
65 are the most likely to be diagnosed with diabetes.
It is the fifth largest cause of death in Ohio.
In people with diabetes, the body either doesn't make enough insulin (Type 1) or can't use its own insulin as well as it should (Type 2). This causes sugar to build up in the blood, which can damage eyes, kidneys and nerves. Diabetes can also lead to heart disease, stroke and amputation of limbs.
Brown pointed out that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services spends 32 percent of its Medicare budget on the 18 percent of its beneficiaries who have diabetes.
In Summit County, 7.9 percent of residents — or about 32,000 people — have been diagnosed with the disease, a statistic that ranks the county fourth, though 20 other counties rank fifth with 7.8 percent.
The Catalyst to Better Diabetes Care Act proposes that:
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services evaluate the use of diabetes screenings and create a screening outreach program.
• An advisory group be formed to focus on employee wellness and disease management programs in the private sector.
• A national diabetes report card be created and updated every two years, containing state and national diabetes statistics and outlining risk factors and health outcomes, including complications of diabetes.
• HHS and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention train doctors to properly complete death certificates as a way to improve the collection of diabetes death data.
• HHS and the Institute of Medicine study whether medical students should be required to have more diabetes-related education. Currently, students need less than four hours of diabetes education to become a board-certified physician.
Tracy Wheeler can be reached at 330-996-3721 or tawheeler@thebeaconjournal.com.
Since 2000, just two other Ohio counties saw a larger increase in the rate of diabetes cases than Summit County.
Get the full article here.
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