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November is National Diabetes Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 4, 2013

LAS VEGAS – November is National Diabetes Month and diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States. The American Diabetes Association reports that approximately 7 million of the nearly 26 million Americans with diabetes are undiagnosed. In 2011, according to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) report, 10.1 percent of adults in Clark County have diabetes. The Southern Nevada Health District and its community partners offer education, self-management classes, and support for people with diabetes and their families as well as programs that can help individuals lower their risk for developing the disease. For additional information, contact the health district’s Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, (702) 759-1270 or visit the Get Healthy Clark County website www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org external link or the Spanish-language site, Viva Saludable www.VivaSaludable.org.

The Southern Nevada Health District has free, online programs that can help with nutritional choices and physical activity for anyone, including people with diabetes. Programs include the Nutrition Challenge and Walk Around Nevada. In addition, the health district’s office of chronic disease prevention and health promotion developed several tools to coincide with National Diabetes Month, including:

Diabetes self-management is considered a key element to avoid diabetes-related complications. Without appropriate diagnosis and treatment, diabetes is among the leading causes of blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and stroke. According to the Nevada Type 2 Diabetes Report 2013 issued by Sanofi Aventis and partners, more than one in four (25.9 percent) Type 2 diabetes patients in Southern Nevada were diagnosed with more than two complications from their disease in 2012, 6.6 percentage points higher than the national average (19.3 percent). These patients are also more likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, nerve and/or kidney damage.

Some diabetes facts and statistics based on the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet (the most recent year for which data is available):

  • Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
  • Diabetes is leading cause of kidney failure (44 percent of new cases in 2008).
  • Diabetes is leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults age 20-74.
  • Approximately 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have mild to severe nervous system damage.
  • More than 60 percent of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations occur in people with diabetes.
  • Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates approximately two to four times higher than adults who do not have diabetes.
  • The risk of stroke is two to four times higher in people with diabetes.
  • High blood pressure rates were reported in 67 percent of adults with self reported diabetes in 2005-08.

Across the country, estimated costs related to diabetes were $174 billion in 2007. In Nevada, the costs associated with diabetes health care and related treatment in hospitals are estimated to be nearly $182 million annually (BRFSS 2009). As of 2010, more than 214,000 Nevadans are currently living with the disease with that number projected to be more than 311,000 by 2030, according to Trust for America’s Health. According to a health district report on the height and weight data collected in a sample of Clark County School District children, 38.7 percent of the children sampled were either overweight or obese. Being overweight puts children at a much greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Hypertension rates for Nevada adults with diabetes is 72.8 percent almost triple the rate for people without diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of End-Stage Renal Disease in Nevada.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease and is generally seen in adults, although it is diagnosed in children as well. While diabetes occurs in people of all ages and races, it is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders. In addition, older Americans have an elevated risk of developing the disease. Early detection of the disease allows patients to manage the disease and prevent complications.

Get Healthy Clark County, www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org and the Spanish-language site, Viva Saludable, www.VivaSaludable.org also offers information about smoking cessation, injury prevention, and resources for a healthier lifestyle.

The Southern Nevada Health District serves as the local public health authority for Clark County, Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite and North Las Vegas. The agency safeguards the public health of the community’s residents and visitors through innovative programs, regulations, and initiatives focused on protecting and promoting their health and well-being. More information about the Health District, its programs, services, and the regulatory oversight it provides is available at www.SNHD.info. Follow the Health District on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

2018-10-17T14:31:22-07:00
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