EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL JUNE 23, 1998
Contact: Kimberly Fletcher/314-982-8637 Ellen Rostand/314-982-9133
NATION'S LARGEST DIABETES ORGANIZATION RALLIES BEHIND THE NATIONAL DIABETES EDUCATION PROGRAM
Diabetes Treatment Centers of America Urges Health Care Industry Support for National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control Program
NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 23, 1998 -- Diabetes Treatment Centers of America (DTCA), the nation's leading provider of specialized diabetes services, is mobilizing its network of physicians, hospitals and health plans to support the National Diabetes Education Program, launched today by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control. Two years in the making, the new education program is based on clinical evidence that deadly and costly complications associated with the disease, such as blindness, kidney disease, amputations, heart disease and stroke, can be delayed or even prevented through aggressive approaches to achieve tighter blood sugar control.
"The purpose of the National Diabetes Education Program is to change the way diabetes is treated," said Robert Stone, executive vice president of DTCA. "As the leading organization in the diabetes management field, we believe we have a responsibility to work in concert with leading public organizations, as well as influential health care providers, to improve care for people with this disease. We fully support this important initiative."
Stone added that one of the most important ways people with diabetes can improve their control of the disease is to get an A1c test. This test shows a person's average blood sugar level over the past 90 days.
"People with diabetes need to know their A1c number," Stone said. "Daily blood glucose testing provides only a snapshot of blood sugar control at the moment of the test. In contrast, the A1c test gives people with diabetes the 'big picture' by showing them how well they have managed their glucose levels during the previous two to three months."
-more-
DTCA and National Diabetes Education Program Add One
A high A1c level means that there has been too much sugar in the blood, a condition that increases the risk of complications including cardiovascular disease, eye problems, nerve damage and kidney disease. Ideally a person with diabetes will maintain an A1c level as close to normal as possible. A normal A1c level is approximately six percent.
According to diabetes experts, people with A1c levels between seven and eight percent need to take steps to tighten their blood sugar control. For people with A1c levels above eight percent, aggressive treatment is needed.
An A1c level can be determined from a simple blood test. People with diabetes are encouraged to be tested twice a year. However, people with diabetes who take insulin and have had difficulty controlling their blood sugar or have experienced complications in the past should have the test every three months.
"The best way to prevent the devastating complications of diabetes is through early intervention, appropriate monitoring and effective management," Stone said. "Ensuring that people with diabetes have regular A1c tests and understand the importance of this number is a critical first step. Programs like those offered by DTCA can help physicians, hospitals and health plans quickly adopt comprehensive approaches to caring for their patients and members with diabetes, improving quality of care and reducing costs."
DTCA served on an advisory panel for the National Diabetes Education Program and provided guidance during the development of the campaign. The first phase of the education program will involve a variety of television and radio public service announcements showcasing the many faces of diabetes and how specific individuals are successfully controlling their diabetes.
More than five percent of the U.S. adult population -- or 10.2 million Americans -- have diabetes. In addition, there are believed to be an additional 5.4 million undiagnosed cases. One of every seven dollars spent on health care in the U.S. is spent on behalf of people with diabetes.
A subsidiary of American Healthcorp, Inc.(Nasdaq/NM:AMHC), DTCA is the nation's leading provider of diabetes services to physicians, hospitals and health care payers. DTCA operates hospital-based diabetes treatment centers and implements programs which assist health care payers in improving the quality of care for individuals with diabetes enrolled in their plans, while reducing the payer's total costs. The company is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn.
To receive additional information, please visit the National Diabetes Education Program's web site at http://ndep.nih.gov, or call 1-800-438-5383 to receive updates on the program's progress.
For more information about the A1c test, please call your local Diabetes Treatment Center.
# # #
Media Advisory: People with diabetes are available to comment on the A1c test and how it helps them manage their diabetes.
RSS