ALEXANDRIA, VA, Sep 15, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) —
With 105 million children and adults in America either living with,
or at risk for developing diabetes, the American Diabetes Association
will participate today in a Congressional briefing to highlight the
central role that the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
specifically the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and
Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), plays in spurring innovative new ways to
address and ultimately stop the nation’s growing diabetes epidemic.
The briefing, “Advancing Discovery: The Role of NIH Research in
Fighting Diabetes,” will be held in conjunction with the Ad-Hoc Group
for Medical Research, a coalition of national organizations that
support federal funding for the NIH, and co-sponsored by the
Association.
Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill, an Association volunteer and mother of
two, including her daughter Cassidy, who was diagnosed with type 1
diabetes at 16 months, will share her family’s experiences as
participants in NIDDK clinical trials. The trials offer researchers
valuable information about diabetes and help make the case for
increased federal investment in NIDDK in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012.
Albanese-O’Neill, who is from Gainesville, Florida, will be joined at
the briefing by NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin Rodgers and diabetes
researcher Dr. Rena Wing of Brown University.
The briefing comes just as Members of Congress are considering how to
fund federal programs in FY 2012, including the NIDDK. One of the 27
institutes at the NIH, NIDDK is the primary federal agency that
conducts research to find a cure for diabetes and improve diabetes
care. Because of research supported by NIDDK, individuals with
diabetes can take advantage of the latest advancements in treating
and preventing the disease.
Nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have
diabetes and one-fourth of those are unaware they have it. Another 79
million, or one in five Americans, have prediabetes, placing them at
increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. A study by the Lewin
Group found the total costs of diabetes, including undiagnosed
diabetes, prediabetes, gestational diabetes, and related conditions
in the United States was $218 billion in 2007.
“If left unaddressed, diabetes will overwhelm the healthcare system
with tragic consequences,” said Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill. “To
change this future, we need to increase our commitment to NIDDK in a
way that reflects the burden diabetes poses both for us and for our
children. My family has been honored to be a part of clinical trials
that could one day lead to ensuring that families like mine can
prevent other children from developing this devastating disease.”
The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to stop
diabetes and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected
by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and
manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities;
provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those
denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission
is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all
people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the
American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or
visit
www.diabetes.org . Information from both these sources is
available in English and Spanish.
Contact:
Lauren Gleason
lgleason@diabetes.org
703-549-1500 ext. 2622
SOURCE: American Diabetes Association
mailto:lgleason@diabetes.org
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