November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), diabetes affects nearly 27 million people in the United States. That’s nearly 8 percent of the population. Further, it’s estimated an additional 57 million people have “pre-diabetes, a condition that puts people at an increased risk” for the disease.
Dr. John Baldridge is a fellow of the American College of Endocrinology and one of only 6,000 or so physicians who specialize in the study of the endocrine. “The endocrine is a system of glands, organs and hormones in the body. It is a balance of hormones generated by glands such as the pituitary, thyroid, gonads (ovaries and testicles) and adrenal glands. Common diseases associated with endocrine dysfunction include thyroid disorders and diabetes.”
The CDC defines diabetes as “a disease associated with high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production that causes sugar to build up in the body.” Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death and can cause blindness, kidney failure, lower-extremity amputations and heart disease.
(Please see the November 2008 issue of AY to read the article in its entirety)
