Major news coverage was given the recent announcement that all adults should be tested for diabetes by age 45 to identify the half of the 16 million Americans with diabetes who do not know they have it.
To paraphrase a popular news commentator, here is the rest of the story:
Most of the 8 million Americans now receiving diabetes care are not receiving the most effective treatment, known as “intensive diabetes self-management.” Bringing 8 million more Americans into conventional diabetes therapy will not solve this major public-health problem.
We need to make sure that all diabetes patients have access to “intensive diabetes self-management,” an approach in which a physician-led team teaches each patient how to better manage his or her disease.
The benefits of this approach are enormous. On average, it would give diabetes patients 15 more years without major complications and five more years of life. Also, it would save all health-care consumers more than $108 billion a year–more than $200 for every man, woman and child in America.
How do we achieve these dramatic results? Where can diabetes patients and others get information?
The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) is conducting a public-awareness campaign to promote “intensive diabetes self-management.” For information, call our toll-free hotline at 1-888-50-SUGAR or visit our web site at www.aace.com on the Internet.
Screening more Americans for diabetes is one small step. Bringing those with diabetes into effective therapy based on intensive self-management will be a giant leap forward.
