Message from the Caucus Leadership
As the chairs and vice-chairs of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, we would like to present the April edition of the Caucus Quarterly Newsletter. Below you will find the latest news in diabetes, summaries of recent diabetes events, and updates on the legislative priorities of the Caucus. We hope that you and your staff find this newsletter helpful and informative.
NEWS FROM NIH
Nationwide Study Shows Substantial Improvement in Diabetes Control in Past Decades: Newly reported research shows dramatic improvements in
control of blood glucose, blood pressure and LDL "bad" cholesterol in U.S. adults with diabetes. These findings are derived from a cross-sectional study of persons participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). To obtain comparisons over time, scientists looked at measures of hemoglobin A1C (for blood glucose control), blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol—the "ABCs" of diabetes control—among participants in four surveys covering 1988- 1994 and 1999-2010. They found that, between 1988 and 2010, the percentage of people 20 years of age and older meeting recommended ABC goals rose from about 43 percent to 52 percent for hemoglobin A1C, from about 33 to 51 percent for blood pressure, and from about 10 to 56 percent for LDL cholesterol, while the percentage meeting all three rose from about 2 percent to nearly 19 percent. The study also examined statin use and found that it increased significantly over time, likely contributing to the observed dramatic improvements in lowering blood cholesterol. Because research has proven that control of the diabetes ABCs dramatically reduces risk of developing diabetes complications, improved control of these factors portends better future health outcomes for people with diabetes. Although the overall trend for diabetes control was positive, some significant disparities exist. For example, Mexican Americans were less likely to meet hemoglobin A1C goals than non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks. Also, people 20 to 49 years of age were less likely to meet hemoglobin A1C and cholesterol goals. Because younger people have a greater life expectancy and the potential to develop diabetes complications increases with duration of diabetes, it is particularly alarming to find worse diabetes control in this age group. Thus, despite showing very encouraging trends in diabetes control, the study findings also demonstrate that control remains suboptimal and that there is opportunity for further improvements that can benefit the health of people with diabetes.