Press Release

Contact: Corryl Parr 313-615-3076 corryl.parr@teamdetroit.com

Diabetes in Michigan: The Epidemic

DETROIT, February 16, 2012 As the sixth leading cause of death among Michigan residents, diabetes is serious, common, and costly. Michigans diabetes rate is consistently higher than the nation as a whole increasing 15 percent over the past five years. Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes and we estimate that as many as one in three could develop the disease by 2050 if current trends continue, said Ann Albright, Ph.D., R.D., director of CDCs Division of Diabetes Translation. With so many people impacted and millions who are unaware they are at risk, it is critical to educate early and often because we know that a structured lifestyle program that includes losing modest weight and increasing physical activity can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for about 90-95 percent of all diagnosed diabetes cases in the United States and can lead to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney and nervous system disease, and amputation. According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, an estimated 700,000 Michigan adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, and another 365,000 have undiagnosed diabetes. This means more than 1 million adults in Michigan are directly affected by this ever-growing epidemic. As the prevalence of diabetes continues to rise, so do the health care costs associated with the disease. Diabetes costs the United States $174 billion annually and over $9 billion per year in Michigan. Investments in community-based disease prevention programs that address lifestyle changes and empower individuals to take an active role in their health could yield significant economic savings. In an effort to advance these programs The Southeast Michigan Beacon Community has introduced txt4health, a mobile health information service designed to help people understand their risk for type 2 diabetes and become more informed about the steps they can take to lead healthy lives. Robin Nwankow, R.D, MPH, CDE, an American Diabetes Association volunteer who serves on the leadership board for the Michigan and Northern Ohio market said, Community-based disease prevention programs would be particularly useful in the Detroit area, where 12 percent of the population of Wayne County has been diagnosed with diabetes, compared to 10 percent for the state as a whole. This is probably in large part due to a high prevalence of obesity and a high population of African Americans. Certain races and ethnicities, primarily non-white populations, are at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes, with the mortality rates in Michigan being even greater in African Americans. Poverty, lack of access to health care, differences in disease education and cultural attitudes present barriers to diabetes prevention and management. ###

fight to stop diabetes and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org

About The American Diabetes Association: The American Diabetes Association is leading the

About Southeast Michigan Beacon Community: Through meaningful use of health information technology, the Southeast Michigan Beacon Community focuses on goals that significantly address the care quality, health outcome and cost issues in the region. Specifically, the Beacon Community uses existing and expanding electronic health record (EHR) and HIE infrastructures to enhance the care coordination and health care processes with a focus on effective use of networked patient information and EHRs. These efforts leverage existing technologies to enhance patient involvement in the management of their own chronic illnesses and improve quality of life for patients diagnosed with diabetes. For more information about the Southeast Michigan Beacon Community visit www.sembc.org About txt4health: Txt4health is a mobile health information service designed to help people
understand their risk for type 2 diabetes and become more informed about the steps they can take to lead healthy lives. People who sign up for txt4health by texting HEALTH to 300400 will receive SMS text messages each week with timely, relevant information to help them improve and manage their health. The txt4health program is made possible through a public-private initiative that includes the American Diabetes Association (ADA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), Voxiva, and the three Beacon Communities that are piloting this program: Crescent City (New Orleans), Southeast Michigan and Greater Cincinnati. This campaign is part of a broad effort by the Beacons to deploy new consumer ehealth tools to help individuals better manage their health. For more information about the txt4health product visit www.txt4health.com