Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Know More About Diabetes Everyday

Apparently, November is also Diabetes Awareness Month. And today - November 14, 2007 - is World Diabetes Day. This month's campaign theme is "Diabetes in Children and Adoloscents" - a nod to the growing fact that Diabetes - specifically Type 2 which was previously only seen in adults over 45 years old - has become increasingly common among people below 20 years old. According to CDC, 154,000 youths were afflicted with Diabetes in 2006 - 1 in 523 young people.

To address this inching epidemic, NDEP (National Diabetes Education Program) developed an educational program targeted towards youth with or at risk for diabetes and their parents or caregivers. Most notably, educational and support materials focusing on Type 2 diabetes were likewise introduced to warn kids of the growing risk.

No definitive information is yet available on the extent of diabetes among Asia Pacific Islander youths in the U.S. but should nonetheless be vigilant against the disease, considering its prevalence among the adult population of the group.

Here is the NDEP link: http://ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/youth/youth.htm
Click this link: http://www.diabetes.org/communityprograms-and-localevents/americandiabetesmonth.jsp for more information about Diabetes Awareness Month.