Why is Type 1 Diabetes an emerging public health issue?
Diabetes has been and is an emerging public health issue, as it affects around 16 million Americans and contributes to around 200,000 deaths a year. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, leg and foot amputations, pregnancy complications, and deaths related to flu and pneumonia. Of all of these affected Americans, 5-10% of diagnosed cases are Type 1 diabetes, but it is believed that as many as 10% of people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (adult-onset, non-insulin dependent diabetes) actually have Type 1 diabetes. This translates to someone getting diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes every hour of every day. The direct and indirect costs of diabetes (all types) are nearly $100 billion a year with average health care costs per individual with diabetes estimated at $10, 071 a year in 1997 ($2,699 is average for individuals without diabetes). Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that is diagnosed mainly in chil
