Building a True Picture of Diabetes During American Diabetes Month

November is American Diabetes Month, and this year, the American Diabetes Association is working to reshape the understanding of diabetes.  The goal is to raise awareness of the fact that diabetes is life-changing disease with a huge societal impact – and not a minor hindrance, as some people think.

As part of this mission, the ADA is asking patients with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes to send in a photo that captures what life with diabetes is like.  What are the everyday challenges and considerations?  Help the ADA build a mosaic of the “true picture of diabetes” and CVS will donate a $1 for every photo uploaded, up to $25,000.

Another way to get a clearer picture is to consider some of the alarming facts about diabetes, which is projected to affect as many as one in three Americans by 2050:

• 26 million Americans are currently living with the disease
• 79 million Americans have prediabetes, putting them at risk for type 2 diabetes
• Two out of three people with diabetes die from heart attack or stroke
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and new cases of adult blindness
• The cost of diabetes is $1 out of every $5 in total healthcare costs

If you are living with diabetes, or you’re at risk for developing it, connect with others like you at PatientsLikeMe.  There are more than 1,000 type 1 diabetes patients and more than 4,700 patients type 2 diabetes patients in our community who are sharing experiences with blood glucose control, symptoms, treatments and more. How do they evaluate common medications such as Metformin and Insulin Glargine?  How many have undergone a kidney transplant?  Who’s taking part in a diabetes-related clinical trial?  Exchange knowledge and support with those facing many of the same struggles as you.

For an in-depth picture of a family affected by diabetes, check out our interview with kidney transplant recipient Michael Burke.