Diabetes

Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and proper treatment can be complex. This synthesis provides good evidence to show that intensive therapy using a team approach is an effective way to reach the major goals of diabetes therapy: lowering glucose (blood sugar) to appropriate levels and avoiding or postponing the onset of serious complications.

The burden of diabetes is much higher for racial/ethnic minorities than for whites. Minorities have a higher prevalence of diabetes than whites, and some minorities have higher rates of diabetes-related complications and death. Research results help in understanding these disparities and ways to reduce them.

Diabetes-a disease that causes problems with insulin production or utilization-affects about 16 million Americans and accounts for an estimated $98 billion in annual health care costs. Without enough insulin, sugar levels in the blood become too high, which can lead to permanent damage to the blood vessels and associated complications, such as heart disease and stroke. As a result, diabetics spend over 3 million days in the hospital and make over 15 million visits to health care providers each year.

Materials designed to help States assess the quality of diabetes care and create quality improvement strategies.