A Mothers Day Wish To find a cure for diabetes

Introduction 9% of the population has diabetes. That is 15.7 million people. $98.2 billion are spent every year on diabetes care and treatment. $26.2 billion in Medicare costs. I am Lauren Lanning of Gillette, NJ. I have a 4 year old daughter, Monica, with Type I, Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus.

A day in the life of Monica 7:30-8:00am - Wake up, get a blood test, get an insulin shot, eat breakfast - 1 starch, one fruit, and 1/2 milk. No sleeping late. 10:00am - Snack, 1 starch, 1/2 milk, 1 meat. Noon - Another blood test. If her blood sugar is high, she gets another shot. Lunch is 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fruit, 1 meat. 2:30pm - Snack, 1 starch. 5:30pm - Another blood test and another shot. Dinner is 1 starch, one fruit, 1 meat, 1 vegetable, 1/2 milk. 8:00pm - Another blood test. If her blood sugar is high, she gets a shot. Snack - 1 starch, 1 meat, 1/2 milk. We have to keep a monitor in her room in case she has a low in the middle of the night. If she awakens at night, another blood test. Every time she has a temper tantrum she has to have a test, it could be her blood sugar going low. She carries a kit with her wherever she goes. The kit has 1 juice, 1 tube of CakeMate, meter, test strips, lance, insulin, syringes, cotton balls, alcohol wipes, 1 snack, glucagon emergency kit. There is no time off for good behavior. We have to follow this schedule EVERY day, all year, until a cure is found.

When things go wrong If Monica gets sick, her blood sugars go out of control and I must stay home from work, test her every hour and give her shots as needed. Exercise brings blood sugars down. If she goes too low, she will pass out, convulse or even go into a coma. So if Monica goes on a playdate, a dance class or just outside to play, I have to be there to make sure she is ok. If she does go low, we give her juice first. If she will not drink the juice, we squeeze CakeMate into her mouth. If she is unconscious, we administer a shot of glucagon and call 911. A birthday party wreaks havoc on her blood sugar. After cake and ice cream she will go high and feel awful. It usually take a day or two to fully recover. I get called out of work all the time to deal with her highs/lows. I am very lucky to have an understanding employer. Not all parents are this fortunate. The Americans With Disabilities Act will not cover us....

Statistics from the NIH 15.7 million people, 9% of the population, have diabetes million are diagnosed. 5.4 million are undiagnosed. There are 798,000 new cases diagnosed per year. Diabetes was the 7th leading cause of death in the US according to the CDC. Diabetes is under reported on death certificates. Many times the death certificate reports only the complication, not the cause of the complication, diabetes. It is the 4th leading cause of death according to the ADA.

Complications of diabetes Heart disease Stroke Blindness Kidney disease Nervous system disease Amputations Dental disease Complication of pregnancy Learning disabilities in children Coma Diabetics are more susceptible to infection They are more likely to die of influenza or pneumonia than others

The costs of diabetes - $98.2 billion in US 26.2 billion in Medicare costs 7.7 billion for diabetes and acute glycemic care 11.8 billion for excess prevalence of related chronic illnesses 24.6 billion due to the excess prevalence of general medical conditions 17.0 billion from premature mortality 37.1 billion from disability Statistics from the American Diabetes Association This is BIG business for the healthcare companies.

Statistics from the ADA

Balance Funding and Research In last 10 years NIH funding increased by over 100% Funding for diabetes increased 35% An average of $1,500 spent per AIDS victim -- Only $65 spent per diabetic

Islet Cell Transplant Research The most promising CURE Islet cells are what produce insulin. In Type I diabetes, these cells are killed off. Scientists have found a way to encapsulate islet cells so antibodies that would kill them, cannot. But, glucose can get in to trigger the islets to make insulin and insulin can get out. There is a debate over the safety of xenotransplantation, transplanting animal cells to humans. Let the people who stand to benefit from such transplants decide who gets them and who does not. Successful transplants have been performed.

Cause and Prevention Research Dr. Dale Wagmann is examining the nature of the T cells that attack and kill the insulin producing islet cells. By examing how these cells attack insulin, they have found they can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes in mice. The DPT-I trial is an experiment is trying to prevent diabetes by injecting insulin into people found to be at risk.

How Congress can help Funds are needed for research for a CURE Islet Cell Transplantation Prevention studies Studies on causes Balance Funding Equitable representation of your constituents (AIDS Funding vs. Diabetes Funding). Congress controls the purse Make diabetic supplies available to more people and require that insurance companies cover them.

How Congress can help - continued Make it part of the Americans with Disabilities Act, that there be no discrimination against diabetics for being diabetic. Reduce the lobbying power of the major drug companies that stand to lose billions if a cure is found. Make them contribute to NIH research for a cure. Pressure the industry for a cure. It worked for auto emissions

Final Reflections If a cure for diabetes could be found, think of what that much money back into the economy would mean. Think of the impact on Medicare which has a huge chunk of budget, $26 billion a year, devoted to diabetes care. Think of Monica, my four year old daughter, being able to go to a birthday party, go on playdates, go to dance class or just go outside and play without worrying about getting sick. Think of her living a long complication free life.