June 30 , 2008

Idaho Health Officials Addressing Growing Diabetes Epidemic

The number of Idaho adults diagnosed with diabetes is on the rise, increasing from 72,000 in 2006 to 87,000 in 2007. The good news is that healthcare providers and community leaders have two new tools to address this growing public health crisis.

On Friday, the Diabetes Alliance of Idaho will unveil Idaho’s 5-Year Diabetes State Plan, a document that outlines strategies to improve the quality of care for people with diabetes, increase access to diabetes treatment, prevent diabetes-related complications and focus on public policy to address the disease into the future.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also released this week a database of diabetes prevalence by county throughout the US. This tool, which shows which parts of Idaho have the highest rates of diabetes, can help healthcare providers better target interventions to treat and prevent complications from this disease.

For example, the map shows 9 percent of adults in Caribou County in Southeast Idaho and Lewis County in North Idaho have diabetes, while 5.8 percent of adults in Ada County in Southwest Idaho have diabetes.

“Diabetes education programs can use this information to focus their efforts where they are needed most,” says Health and Welfare Diabetes Prevention and Control Program Manager Mimi Hartman-Cunningham. “We know we need to work together if we are going to make a difference in the lives of those who have diabetes. Having additional data and a solid plan for future interventions will help us improve the quality of care for many Idahoans.”

Idaho’s increase in the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes mirrors a national trend. About 24 million people, or roughly 8 percent of the US population, have the disease. An additional 57 million people are estimated to have blood sugar abnormalities called pre-diabetes, which puts people at increased risk for developing diabetes.

Health officials say the increase in diabetes prevalence can be linked to obesity and inactivity. Regular, moderate exercise and a low-fat diet can help prevent some cases of diabetes or delay onset of the disease and help those already diagnosed with diabetes prevent further complications, says Hartman-Cunningham.

Download a copy of the Idaho 5-Year Diabetes State Plan. You can also download a map showing the prevalence of diabetes in Idaho counties, by going to the CDC Diabetes Statistics website.