RESEARCH IS THE CURE

The following are just a few facts and estimates that confirm how widespread diabetes truly is in the United States and how important it is to find a cure.

Between 1990 and 1998, the incidents of diabetes jumped 33% to 6.5% of the U.S. adult population.

Hispanic, African, Asian and Native Americans suffer from diabetes at rates much higher than the general population including young children who are now being diagnosed with Type II diabetes.

For people in their 30's, incidents jumped by 76% in the same eight year period.

Diabetes affects approximately 16,000,000 Americans and accounts for more than $105,000,000,000 in annual U.S. health care dollars.

Diabetes costs the nation well in excess of $105,000,000,000 per year.

Diabetes received just 3% of the $2,000,000,000 increase while cancer received 20% and aids 10%.

Individuals with diabetes account for one dollar of every four Medicare dollars.

Diabetes is the leading cause of new adult blindness, kidney failure, an non-traumatic amputation.

Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people ages 20 through 74.

Each year, from 12,000 to 24,000 people lose their site because of diabetes.

There is no cure for diabetes and there will not be one without significant increased research.

Diabetes kills 1 American every 3 minutes.

Just shy of 200,000 people die each year from diabetes and its complications making diabetes the sixth leading cause of death.

Diabetes shortens average life expectancy by up to 15 years.

One out of every ten health care dollars in the United States and one out of every four Medicare dollars is spent on care of people with diabetes.

Diabetes disproportionately affects young children, older adults, and members of minority populations.

18.4% of Americans age 65 years or older have diabetes.

In 1995, 135,000,00 million cases of diabetes was reported worldwide, which is expected to exceed 300,000,000 by the year 2025.

Individuals with diabetes are much more likely to suffer from heart attach and stroke.

Between 1987 and 1997, diabetes’ share of funding fell 30% while diabetes’ death rate rose 30%.

Between 1987 and 1997, NIH funding for diabetes only grew 35%.

Diabetes funding continues to lag significantly behind other diseases now being funded through the NIH.

There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 affects younger people, sometimes referred to as juvenile diabetes. Type 2 affects the more mature, which is just as devastating as Type 1, but is not insulin dependency in many cases..

Congressionally Mandated Diabetes Research Working Group ("DRWG") released a report entitled conquering diabetes, indicating the need for the National Institute of Health ("NIH") to increase funding for diabetes research from $450,000,000 in 1999 to $827,000,000 in fiscal year 2000 to assist in finding a cure for diabetes.

Over the past 2 years, the NIH budget has increased by nearly 30% and is expected to double over a 5 year period.

In many cases, diabetics and their supporters have lobbied throughout government offices to increase funding for NIH. NIH funding for diabetes research is and has been significantly under funded.

There is no cure for diabetes and there will not be one without significant increased research.

The most obvious inadequacies are visible between fiscal years 1988 and 1997 when NIH supported diabetes research group by just 31% while NIH’s overall budget grew by 97%.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention calls diabetes the "epidemic of our time".

Diabetes has increased nearly 700% in the last 40 years.

At the present time, stem cell research looks like the path to a cure for diabetes and it is necessary that our government make continued increased stem cell research a priority.

35 children are diagnosed with diabetes in the United States every day.

Every 40 seconds, a new case of diabetes will be diagnosed.

Diabetes affects the kidneys, the eyes, the heart, the circulation and in some cases amputation is required due to poor circulation

Small children with Type I diabetes must prick their fingers for blood tests four to eight times per day and take insulin shots at a minimum of two times every day.

It was projected that nearly 800,000 people were diagnosed with diabetes in 1999.

Approximately 5,400,000 Americans have diabetes but do not know it.

There is no cure for diabetes and there will not be one without significant increased research.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, blindness in adults and amputations in the United States.

Diabetes is the major risk factor for heart disease and birth defects.

Approximately 1,000,000 Americans, mostly children, have Type I diabetes, and 15,200,000 Americans have Type II diabetes, both of which are growing out of control.

8.2% of Americans age 20 years or older have diabetes.

The DRWG established by Congress and selected by the National Institute of Health has found that many scientific opportunities are not being pursued due to insufficient funding.

Approximately 60% to 75% of people with diabetes have high blood pressure.

Diabetics are 2 to 4 times more likely to have heart disease or suffer a stroke.

Approximately 60% to 75% of diabetics have mild to severe forms of diabetic neuropathy which can lead to lower limb amputations.

Diabetes is the most frequent cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputations.

The risk of leg amputations is 15 to 40 times greater for diabetics.

More than 56,000 amputations are performed among people with diabetes each year.

Diabetes is the leading cause of end stage renal disease ("kidney failure"). In 1995, approximately 28,000 people initiated treatment for end stage renal disease because of diabetes.

Every week 12,000 people learn they have diabetes.

144 people go blind from diabetes every day.

3 people must have an amputation every hour in order to save their lives because of diabetes.

Kidney dialysis is needed for many Type 2 diabetics.

Just shy of 5.9% of the population of the United States has diabetes.

In 1997, it was estimated that the annual economic cost of diabetes was in excess of $98 billion which includes $44 billion in direct medical and treatment costs and $54 billion in indirect expense costs.

These expenditures total 5.8% of the total personal health care expenditures in the United States.

$27.5 billion was spent for in-patient hospital care and $5.5 billion was spent for nursing home care.

It is estimated that approximately 198,140 people died in 1996 with diabetes as the underlying cause.

It is imperative that the NIH fund as close to one billion dollars a year for research.

Over 3,200,000 have signed a petition in support of the funding increase.

The present NIH funding for diabetes research is 40% below the recommendation of the DRWG which was formed by Congress.

There is no cure for diabetes and there will not be one without significant increased research.