State Releases Report On Diabetes Prevention, Control

HARTFORD — The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) this week released Connecticut’s Statewide Diabetes Prevention and Control Plan for 2007–2012. The plan was developed through a collaborative effort of more than 70 representatives from Connecticut, including community-based organizations, health care facilities, worksites, professional organizations, schools, and managed care organizations.

“The diabetes epidemic is a public health crisis in Connecticut and the nation,” said DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, MD, MPH, MBA. “This plan will help provide our state with an effective strategy to address this disease.”

“Access to diabetes self-management education and comprehensive medical care for all Connecticut residents are two of the critical topics addressed in the state plan,” stated Nanette Char, a diabetes volunteer and advocate, who chaired the planning committee’s Access and Policy work group.

The Diabetes Prevention and Control Plan provides a comprehensive approach toward raising public awareness of the health risks posed by diabetes and implementing recommendations identified in the state’s plan. Implementation of the strategies identified in the plan focus on five major areas including diabetes prevention, disease management, education and awareness, access, and policy and surveillance.

Diabetes is characterized by elevated levels of blood sugar, which over time can ravage the body causing eye disease, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and stroke.

Research has shown for people with a condition known as prediabetes who are overweight, achieving weight loss through a healthy diet and exercise can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Connecticut’s diabetes rate has increased since 1999. The prevalence in the state’s adult population was 4.8 percent in 1998–2000 and 6.2 percent in 2003–2005. The US Healthy People 2010 target for diabetes prevalence is 2.5 percent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes cost Connecticut an estimated $1.7 billion in direct and indirect costs in 2003.