Use Of The Telephone For Diabetes Education Affects Glycemic Control ( Hba1c ) And Weight Management

Diabetes is a disease where the body is unable to produce or use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed for proper storage and use of carbohydrates. Without it, blood sugar levels can become too high or too low, resulting in a diabetic emergency. It affects about 7.8% of the population. The incidence of diabetes is known to increase with age. It’s the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the US, and is the primary cause of blindness and foot and leg amputation. It is known to cause neuropathy in up to 70% of diabetic patients. Individuals with diabetes are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.

Uncontrolled diabetes can affect nearly every organ of the body; of which, heart disease and kidney failure are most commonly impacted. Known as diabetes mellitus, a collective term for various blood abnormalities, the term diabetes refers to either a scarcity of insulin in the body or the body’s inability to accept insulin. Though the symptoms of diabetes are manageable, many are unaware as to having it. According to the CDC report “2011 Diabetes Fact Sheet,” approximately 6 million people in the United States have undiagnosed diabetes. Undetected, diabetes can become deadly. In a recent World Health Organization report “Diabetes Action Now: An Initiative of the World Health Organization and the International Diabetes Federation,” it

Diabetes affects over 180 million people in the US and is projected that by 2025 this figure will increase to 300 million.

Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose.and the disease accounts for 3.1% of total deaths in the U.S.

I'm sure many of us know someone, whether it be a family member or friend, who has Diabetes. In 2012, it was found that 29.1 million Americans or 9.3 percent of the population had diabetes. The disease was found to be the 7th leading cause of death in the United states. In a study, 69,071 death certificates listed Diabetes as the underling cause of death and 234,051 death certificates listed Diabetes as underlying or contributing cause of death.

Diabetes mellitus, commonly referred to as diabetes, is a disease that is commonly overlooked as not being as serious as it actually is. According to the national diabetes fact sheet, in 2007, 71,382 people died from diabetes and doctors ruled that diabetes was a contributing cause of the death of an additional 160,022 people. That is a total of 231,404 deaths in one year related to diabetes (American Diabetes Association, 2013). Diabetes is definitely a disease that many should research to learn just how serious it really is.

Currently Healthy People has identified diabetes as one of the 7th leading causes of death in the United States. Diabetes is defined as chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is not working correctly. There are several kinds of diabetes but the most common are: diabetes type one which is when the body does not produce insulin, diabetes type two is when the body does not use insulin and creates resistance to insulin, it is the most common among diabetics, and other diabetes types are usually gestational, which can be the short term. Not only does diabetes lead to death, it shortens the life expectancy, it also increases the risks for heart disease and it leads to kidney failure which leads to other organ failure. In addition to being

Diabetes growth is devastating to American families. Diabetes affects an estimated 23.6 million people in the United States (Healthy People 2020, 2016). In 2006, nearly ten years ago the number of individuals diagnosed with diabetes in the united states was just 17.3 million. Additionally, this number of those diagnosed has doubled since the year 2000 (CDC, 2015). Diabetes is defined by a disease in which the body cannot produce enough or any insulin for proper digestion of sugars and glucose. The elevated levels of glucose within the body cause major complications, some even irreversible (DaVita, 2016). With such an increase in diagnosed diabetes cases, this issue needs to be addressed and public action has to be taken. In a time where grocery stores are readily accessible with fresh fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy lifestyle America should not have this issue.

Kidney disease. In 2011, diabetes was listed as the primary cause of 44% of all new cases of kidney failure (CDC, 2014). Data showed that 228,924 individuals with kidney failure due to diabetes required chronic dialysis or a kidney transplant (CDC, 2014).

In 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes. Of the 29.1 million, 21.0 million were diagnosed, and 8.1 million were undiagnosed. "In 1996 diabetes contributed to more than 162,000 deaths"(Lewis 1367). According to, well known, diabetes researcher McCance "Diabetes mellitus is not a single disease but a group of disorders with glucose intolerance in common" (674). Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia (increased blood sugar) and results from defective insulin production, secretion, and utilization. How can us Americans reduce the wide spread of this disease? The first step is to be informed on its complications, and signs so you can avoid accidentally bringing it upon yourself.

Diabetes, often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar)1 . In 2011 The American Diabetes Association repoted a 25.8 million people in America living with diabetes 2. Diabetes is a illness that can be caused by the body not being able to produce enough insulin and or cells in the body not responding adequately to the insulin provided. Insulin which is produced by the pancrease, regulates the amount of glucose (which provieds energy to all cells) in the blood.

Critchley, Hardie, and Moore (2012) conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the outcomes of a Healthy Living Course (HCL) for its effectiveness on the psychological pathway to behavior change in a group based lifestyle program to prevent Type Two Diabetes. Technology utilized involved electronic records by the general practitioner (GP) to record weight, BMI and waist circumference of participants. Interventions group of 6-12 persons received 6 education sessions (150minute total) to promote healthier living. Further intervention included a trained facilitator who provided psychosocial education about motivational support, basic diabetes education for diet, physical activity and behavioral change. In contrast, the control group received standard GP care for health monitoring and lifestyle and dietary advice.

Complications of diabetes mellitus are a result of the high levels of blood glucose which can damage capillaries in the kidneys, heart, eyes, or nervous system. That’s why, if not treated, can eventually cause hypoglycemia, hypertension, heart attack, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, blindness, nerve damage in the hands and feet, and even amputations.

Diabetes is a major problem in our society today. Many people have heard about the disease; however, they do not know too much about its complications. Diabetes is a chronic, progressive and lifelong condition that affects the body’s ability to use the energy found in food (WebMD, 2016). Many new cases are confirmed every year and unfortunately, many go undiagnosed for years. Diabetes is a serious disease and need to be taking seriously. The disease can lead to many other health problems such as blindness, nerve damage and kidney diseases. The more the community understand and made aware of the seriousness of the disease, the better it can be control and or prevented.

According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2011 there were approximately 25.8 million cases of diabetes in the United States, 7 million of which were undiagnosed, and an estimated 79 million cases of prediabetes (American Diabetes Association, 2014). They also report that diagnosed cases of diabetes cost the United States nearly $250 billion in 2012 (American Diabetes Association, 2014). With such a high prevalence of cases as