Media Release

For: IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: December 12, 2001
Contact: Dona Goldman RN, MPH, (401) 222-6957
Program Director, Diabetes Control Program

Diabetes Through the Holidays

Rhode Island Department of Health Teams with Health Care Providers, Insurers and Community Partners

(PROVIDENCE, RI) Diabetes reached nearly epidemic proportions in the United States with 16 million Americans cases diagnosed. Approximately 40,000 Rhode Islanders have been diagnosed with the disease, and an estimated 20,000 others are unaware that they have it – a particularly serious condition, according to public health officials.

"The percentage of the US adult population with diabetes increased 33% between 1990 and 1998," said Dr. Patricia A. Nolan, MD, MPH, Director of the RI Department of Health (HEALTH). This increase coincides with similar trends in childhood obesity (the percentage of obese teenage Americans more than doubled between 1970 and 1994) and lack of adult physical activity (more the 25% have no leisure time physical activity at all). These trends pose enormous risks for the health of the population and the cost of medical care for years to come. We must all take steps now to promote physical activity and weight control and to assure the early detection and treatment of diabetes."HEALTH recommends that people with diabetes take the following steps to manage their disease:

• Follow a low-fat, low-carbohydrate diet;Maintain a regular exercise regimen -- 30 minutes of daily moderate physical activity or as recommended by one’s physician;Have an annual dilated eye exam that can detect a condition called diabetic retinopathy which can lead to blindness if untreated;Examine feet regularly for wounds and other conditions. Diabetes can lead to a condition called peripheral neuropathy which deadens the nerves to pain, allowing injuries and infections to progress, sometimes leading to amputation;Check blood glucose levels including blood lipids, and Hemoglobin A1C as recommended by physician;
• Maintain routine physician visits to help keep track of other related health issues.

"Left untreated, diabetes is extremely serious – affecting every major organ in the body and sometimes leading to blindness and amputation of limbs due to nerve damage," said Sharon Marable, MD, MPH, Assistant Medical Director of HEALTH. "On the other hand, a growing body of research shows that good nutrition, regular exercise, regular check-ups and good self-management can allow a person with diabetes to live a longer, healthier life."HEALTH helps Rhode Islanders to follow those recommendations by making several educational resources available:

• Information about managing diabetes, as well as links to a variety of helpful sites for people with diabetes, is available on the Health Department website at www.health.ri.gov/.
• Diabetes Hotline: Call 1-800-331-0121 for free educational resources and referrals.
• Community Events: (See calendar of events at: www.health.ri.gov) Sponsored by the Department of Health, health care providers and insurers and other community partners. These community events will happen throughout the holiday season.

"The holidays present a particularly stressful time for people with diabetes," said Dona Goldman, RN, MPH, Program Manager of the Rhode Island Department of Health’s Diabetes Control Program. "Parties and family gatherings offer many foods which could be harmful to diabetics. Hectic schedules play havoc with health and fitness routines. And the physical effects of stress can raise blood glucose ("sugar") levels. The reality is that what’s healthy for people with diabetes – regular exercise and a sensible diet –is healthy for every member of the family. "It is possible to enjoy the holidays without sacrificing festivity," said Goldman, adding that "The Department will offer healthy holiday resources throughout the season."