Did you know that today is World Diabetes Day? This day is all about raising awareness from the local level to a global level. Most of you already know about diabetes. But, just to recap, diabetes is a

“chronic disease that arises when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.  Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that enables cells to take in glucose from the blood and use it for energy. Failure to produce insulin, or of insulin to act properly, or both, leads to raised glucose (sugar) levels in the blood (hyperglycemia). This is associated with long-term damage to the body and failure of various organs and tissues.” (www.idf.org)

The effects of diabetes on the body are sickening, as very high blood sugar levels can do long term damage to many organs in the body. Here are some stunning facts (diabetes.org); 25.8 million Americans have diabetes. Another 79 million people have pre-diabetes.  In 2007, diabetes contributed to 231,004 deaths and the estimated total cost of diagnosed diabetes was $174 billion. The good news: we can fight these numbers!

Like the Coca-Cola bears, join in the fight to stop diabetes. Begin by education yourself and others around you about the causes of diabetes and the damaging effects this disease has on the body. Find a way to get involved in the fight! There are many organizations like the “International Diabetes Federation” (idf.org), StopDiabetes (stopdiabetes.com) and the American Diabetes Association (diabetes.org).  Also, don’t forget to visit the Diabetes section of the NCES Catalog website. Here, you’ll find all the tools you need to educate patients about living with diabetes and even learning to live with your own recently diagnosed diabetes.

If you have any questions about educating about or living with diabetes, please comment on this blog, visit us on Facebook or email us at info@ncescatalog.com. We love hearing from you!