November 2007

In this Issue: Health Care Feature | Partner Spotlight | Calendar | Welcome New Partners | In the News | Interesting Information

Stemming the Tide of Diabetes in Our Community

By Heberto M. Sanchez, MPA
Chief Executive Director of the Latino Diabetes Association

The prevalence of diabetes has increased significantly over the past few years and the number of Californians with diabetes is expected to double by 2025. What is even more troubling is that 600,000 million Californians aren't even aware they suffer from this potentially devastating disease.

To make matters worse, we are seeing some of the most dramatic increases in prevalence among those least able to manage the disease properly, such as the poor and those with inadequate access to care. Unfortunately, whether it is the high health care costs or lack of resources, approximately one-fourth of California adults with diabetes do not take medication for their condition. If diabetes is not properly maintained, it can result in complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve problems, gum infections and amputation. Read more about diabetes...

American Diabetes Association, Northern California Region

Mission
The mission of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by the disease. To fulfill this mission, the ADA funds research, publishes scientific findings and provides information as well as other services to people with diabetes, their families, health professionals and the public. The ADA is also actively involved in advocating for scientific research and for the rights of people with diabetes.

About
The ADA conducts a variety of activities in support of its mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Research, information and advocacy are the cornerstones of the ADA's work. The American Diabetes Association Northern California Region holds a variety of events and programs to support ADA's main goals of research, advocacy and information. The chapter works with local volunteers to organize fundraising events that allow the ADA to continue to conduct innovative research and to provide resources to the local, state and national communities. The ADA can be reached at 1-800-DIABETES.

Web site
www.diabetes.org

Be sure to check out the CPAT Calendar of Events to find out about upcoming partner conferences, seminars, fundraisers, and other activities in your area. If you would like your event listed, please contact Janet at janet@perrycom.com

• Arab Cultural and Community Center
• Bethel M. Baptist Church
• Cancer Federation, Inc.
• Celestial Group Home
• Esteem High
• Mt. Zion Assemblies Church
• Office of Minority Health, US Department of Health and Human Services
• Sacramento Native American Health Center, Inc.
• Seaside Ministerial Group
• St. John Dis. Baptist Association Inc.
• Veggie Flora Nursery
• Plus 11 new individual partners
  

In diabetes, a complex of causes
International Herald Tribune
October 16, 2007

An explosion of new research is vastly changing scientists' understanding of diabetes and giving new clues about how to treat it. New research suggests a hormone from the human skeleton, of all places, may influence how the body handles sugar. Mounting evidence also demonstrates signals from the immune system, the brain and the gut play critical roles in controlling glucose and lipid metabolism. (The findings are mainly relevant to Type 2 diabetes, the more common kind, which comes on in adulthood.) Read the article.

Breath Analysis Offers Potential For Noninvasive Blood Sugar Monitoring In Diabetes
ScienceDaily
September 26, 2007

Breath-analysis testing may prove to be an effective, non-invasive method for monitoring blood sugar levels in diabetes, according to a University of California, Irvine study. Read the article.

State report card: HMOs need to help more with diabetes, obesity
San Francisco Chronicle
October 19, 2007

California's HMOs and physicians need to do a better job of caring for patients with diabetes, treating obesity and making sure people with mental illnesses get the proper help, according to a state report card released Thursday. Read the article.

Health Conference Focuses on Best Ways to Serve Hispanic Population
San Diego Business Journal
October 22, 2007

As the Latino population in the United States grows considerably larger to an estimated 47.5 million nationwide, health care services for this segment of the population is one of the major issues being addressed by elected officials, private organizations, employers and insurance companies. To create a dialogue on serving the health-related needs of these individuals, the San Ysidro Health Center sponsored the first Latino Health Leadership Summit this month in San Diego. Read the article.

Healthy Living Made Easy with New Diabetes Foodsmart e-Newsletter
American Diabetes Association
October 9, 2007

American Diabetes Association and FoodFit.com teamed up and launched the e-newsletter Diabetes Foodsmart. Their goal is to make food fun for those with diabetes as food can have an immediate impact on their health. Read the article.

Chinese Chemicals Flow Unchecked to World Drug Market
New York Times
October 31, 2007

In January, Honor International Pharmtech was accused of shipping counterfeit drugs into the United States. Even so, the Chinese chemical company — whose motto is “Thinking Much of Honor” — was openly marketing its products in October to thousands of buyers here at the world’s biggest trade show for pharmaceutical ingredients. Read the article

Diabetes:

• Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States
• 20.8 million people in the United States -- 7.0% of the population -- have diabetes
• 14.6 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes
• 6.2 million people remain undiagnosed
• 54 million people are afflicted with pre-diabetes (blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes)
• 1.5 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older in 2005
• Since 1987 the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 45 percent, while the death rates due to heart disease, stroke, and cancer have declined
  

CA Access News welcomes contributions from our partners. Please contact us if you have suggestions for future events and stories by calling CPAT at (916) 658-0144, Attn: Janet or e-mail Janet at janet@perrycom.com.

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Sacramento, CA 95814
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